The National Gallery of Ireland ( ga, Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann) houses the national collection of Irish and European art. It is located in the centre of

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

with one entrance on

Merrion Square Merrion Square () is a Georgian garden square on the southside of Dublin city centre. History The square was laid out in 1752 by the estate of Viscount FitzWilliam and was largely complete by the beginning of the 19th century. The demand fo ...

, beside

Leinster House Leinster House ( ga, Teach Laighean) is the seat of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Ireland. Originally, it was the ducal palace of the Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it is a complex of buildings, of which the former ducal palace is the core, ...

, and another on Clare Street. It was founded in 1854 and opened its doors ten years later. The gallery has an extensive, representative collection of Irish paintings and is also notable for its

Italian Baroque Italian Baroque (or ''Barocco'') is a stylistic period in Italian history and art that spanned from the late 16th century to the early 18th century. History The early 17th century marked a time of change for those of the Roman Catholic religion ...

and Dutch masters painting. The current director is Caroline Campbell.

History

In 1853 an exhibition, the Great Industrial Exhibition, was held on the lawns of

in Dublin. Among the most popular exhibits was a substantial display of works of art organised and underwritten by the railway magnate

William Dargan William Dargan (28 February 1799 – 7 February 1867) was arguably the most important Irish engineer of the 19th century and certainly the most important figure in railway construction. Dargan designed and built Ireland's first railway lin ...

. The enthusiasm of the visiting crowds demonstrated a public for art, and it was decided to establish a permanent public art collection as a lasting monument of gratitude to Dargan. The moving spirit behind the proposal was the barrister

John Edward Pigot John Edward Pigot (1822–1871) was an Irish music collector and lawyer, who played a key role in the foundation of the National Gallery of Ireland. Life Pigot was born in Kilworth, Co. Cork, the eldest son of the Chief Baron of the Irish Exche ...

(1822–1871), son of

David Richard Pigot David Richard Pigot, PC, KC (c. 1796 – 22 December 1873) was one of the leading Irish judges of his time. His children included John Edward Pigot, a noted music collector and one of the founders of the National Gallery of Ireland. His grand ...

Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer The Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer was the Baron ( judge) who presided over the Court of Exchequer (Ireland). The Irish Court of Exchequer was a mirror of the equivalent court in England and was one of the four courts which sat in the build ...

, and he became one of the first governors of the gallery. The façade of the National Gallery copies the Natural History building of the National Museum of Ireland which was already planned for the facing flank of Leinster House. The building itself was designed by

Francis Fowke Francis Fowke (7 July 1823 – 4 December 1865) was an Irish engineer and architect, and a captain in the Corps of Royal Engineers. Most of his architectural work was executed in the Renaissance style, although he made use of relatively new ...

, based on early plans by

Charles Lanyon Sir Charles Lanyon DL, JP (6 January 1813 – 31 May 1889) was an English architect of the 19th century. His work is most closely associated with Belfast, Northern Ireland. Biography Lanyon was born in Eastbourne, Sussex (now East Sussex) in ...

, and was completed and opened in 1864. The gallery was not founded around an existing collection, and when the gallery opened it had just 112 paintings. In 1866 an annual purchase grant was established and by 1891 space was already limited. In 1897, the Dowager Countess of Milltown indicated her intention of donating the contents of

Russborough House Russborough House is a stately house near the Blessington Lakes in County Wicklow, Republic of Ireland. Located between the towns of Blessington and Ballymore Eustace, it is an outstanding example of Palladian architecture, designed by Richard ...

to the gallery. This gift included about 223 paintings, 48 pieces of sculpture, 33 engravings, much silver, furniture and a library, and prompted construction from 1899 to 1903 of what is now called the Milltown Wing, designed by

Thomas Newenham Deane Sir Thomas Newenham Deane (1828 – 8 November 1899) was an Irish architect, the son of Sir Thomas Deane and Eliza Newenham, and the father of Sir Thomas Manly Deane. His father and son were also architects. Works attributed to Thomas Newen ...

. At around this time

Henry Vaughan Henry Vaughan (17 April 1621 – 23 April 1695) was a Welsh metaphysical poet, author and translator writing in English, and a medical physician. His religious poetry appeared in ''Silex Scintillans'' in 1650, with a second part in 1655.''Oxfo ...

left 31 watercolours by J.M.W. Turner with the requirement that they could only be exhibited in January, this to protect them from the ill-effects of sunlight. Though modern lighting technology has made this stipulation unnecessary, the gallery continues to restrict viewing of the Vaughan bequest to January and the exhibition is treated as something of an occasion. Another substantial bequest came with the untimely death in the sinking of the of Hugh Lane (1875–1915), since 1914 director of the gallery; not only did he leave a large collection of pictures, he also left part of his residual estate and the Lane Fund has continued to contribute to the purchase of artworks to this day. In addition to his involvement in the gallery, Hugh Lane had also hoped to found a gallery of modern art, something only realised after his death in the Hugh Lane Gallery.

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

also made a substantial bequest, leaving the gallery a third of royalties of his estate in gratitude for the time he spent there as a youth. The gallery was again extended in 1962 with a new wing designed by Frank DuBerry of the

Office of Public Works The Office of Public Works (OPW) ( ga, Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí) (legally the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland) is a major Irish Government agency, which manages most of the Irish State's property portfolio, including hundreds of o ...

. This opened in 1968 and is now named the Beit Wing. In 1978 the gallery received from the government the paintings given to the nation by Chester Beatty and in 1987 the Sweeney bequest brought fourteen works of art including paintings by Picasso and Jack B. Yeats. The same year the gallery was once again given some of the contents of

when Alfred Beit donated 17 masterpieces, including paintings by Velázquez, Murillo, Steen,

Vermeer Johannes Vermeer ( , , see below; also known as Jan Vermeer; October 1632 – 15 December 1675) was a Dutch Baroque Period painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle-class life. During his lifetime, he was a moderately succe ...

and Raeburn. In the 1990s a lost Caravaggio, ''

The Taking of Christ ''The Taking of Christ'' ( it, Presa di Cristo nell'orto or Cattura di Cristo) is a painting, of the arrest of Jesus, by the Italian Baroque master Caravaggio, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. Originally commissioned by the Roman nobleman Ciria ...

'', known through replicas, was discovered hanging in a Jesuit house of studies in Leeson Street in Dublin by Sergio Benedetti, senior conservator of the gallery. The Jesuits have allowed this painting to be exhibited in the gallery and the discovery was the cause of national excitement. The painting was on loan to an Italian gallery from February until July 2010 as part of Caravaggio's 400th anniversary. In 1997 Anne Yeats donated sketchbooks by her uncle Jack Yeats and the gallery now includes a Yeats Museum. Denis Mahon, a well-known art critic, promised the gallery part of his rich collection and eight painting from his promised bequest are on permanent display, including ''Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph'' by

Guercino Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (February 8, 1591 – December 22, 1666),Miller, 1964 better known as Guercino, or il Guercino , was an Italian Baroque painter and draftsman from Cento in the Emilia region, who was active in Rome and Bologna. The vi ...

List of directors

* George Mulvany, 1861–69 * Henry Doyle, 1869–92 * Walter Armstrong, 1892–1914 * Hugh Lane, 1914–15 * Walter G. Strickland, 1915–16 *

Robert Langton Douglas Robert Langton Douglas (1864–1951) was a British art critic, lecturer, and author, and director of the National Gallery of Ireland. Biography Douglas was born in Davenham, Cheshire, and educated at New College, Oxford, New College, University o ...

, 1916–23 * Lucius O'Callaghan, 1923–27 *

Thomas Bodkin Professor Thomas Patrick Bodkin (21 July 1887 – 24 April 1961) was an Irish lawyer, art historian, art collector and curator. Bodkin was Director of the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin from 1927 to 1935 and founding Director of the ...

, 1927–35 * George Furlong, 1935–50 * Thomas McGreevy, 1950–63 * James White, 1964–80 * Homan Potterton, 1980–88 * Raymond Keaveney, 1988–2012 * Sean Rainbird, 2013–2022 * Caroline Campbell 2022–to present

Millennium Wing

National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, March 2012 (06)

A new wing, called the Millennium Wing, was opened in 2002. Unlike the previous two extensions, this new wing has street frontage and the English architects Benson & Forsyth gave it an imposing Bowers Whitbed, Portland Stone

façade A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loan word from the French (), which means ' frontage' or ' face'. In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important aspect ...

and grand

atrium Atrium may refer to: Anatomy * Atrium (heart), an anatomical structure of the heart * Atrium, the genital structure next to the genital aperture in the reproductive system of gastropods * Atrium of the ventricular system of the brain * Pulmona ...

. The design originally involved demolishing an adjoining Georgian terrace house and its ballroom mews; however, the Irish planning appeals authority, An Bord Pleanála, required that they be retained.

Master development plan

In March 2011, the Office of Public Works (OPW), in association with the gallery, commenced work on the historic complex at Merrion Square to address a critical need for the repair and renovation of the fabric of the Dargan (1864) and Milltown (1903) wings, together with the provision of much needed additional accommodation. The first phase of the works programme involved the removal and replacement of the Dargan Wing roof. The next two phases of the project involved the replacement of the Milltown Wing roof, followed by an extensive upgrade of the fabric and services of the two buildings whilst reclaiming their original period elegance. Refurbishment of the two wings was completed in June 2017.

Location, access and facilities

The National Gallery of Ireland is located in the heart of

Georgian Dublin ''Georgian Dublin'' is a phrase used in terms of the history of Dublin that has two interwoven meanings: # to describe a historic period in the development of the city of Dublin, Ireland, from 1714 (the beginning of the reign of King George I ...

. There are two entrances, one at

and the other at Clare Street. Admission to the gallery is free and many talks, tours and events, as well as the audioguide, are also free of charge. The gallery launched a free smartphone app in 2013.

Dublin Bus Dublin Bus ( ga, Bus Átha Cliath) is a State-owned bus operator providing services in Dublin. By far the largest bus operator in the city, it carried 138 million passengers in 2019. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. ...

routes 4, 7 and 7a all pass by the gallery. The

Pearse Street Pearse Street () (formerly Great Brunswick Street) is a major street in Dublin. It runs from College Street in the west to MacMahon Bridge in the east, and is one of the city's longest streets. It has several different types of residential and c ...

DART station is 5 minutes on foot as is the Dawson stop on the green line of the

Luas Luas (pronounced ; Irish for "speed") is a tram/ light rail system in Dublin, Ireland. There are two main lines: the Green Line, which began operating on 30 June 2004, and the Red Line which opened on 26 September 2004. Since then, both li ...

. The Abbey Street stop of the red line of the Luas is a 20-minute walk away. There are two

dublinbikes Dublinbikes (styled "dublinbikes") is a public bicycle rental scheme which has operated in the city of Dublin since 2009. At its launch, the scheme, which is sponsored by JCDecaux, used 450 French-made unisex bicycles with 40 stations. By 201 ...

stations just outside the gallery, one at Clare Street and the other at Merrion Square West. All galleries and entrances are wheelchair and buggy accessible and there are disabled parking spaces outside the Merrion Square entrance. Tours for the visually and hearing impaired are regularly organised. Visitors with guide dogs are welcome in the gallery. The lecture theatre, AV room and gallery shop are all fitted with a loop system for the hearing impaired.

Highlights

The collection has about 14,000 artworks, including about 2,500 oil paintings, 5,000 drawings, 5,000 prints, and some sculpture, furniture and other works of art. File:Clarice Orsini de Medici.JPG, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Presumed ''Portrait of Clarice Orsini, Wife of Lorenzo the Magnificent'', before 1494 File:Mantegna, giuditta di dublino.jpg,

Andrea Mantegna Andrea Mantegna (, , ; September 13, 1506) was an Italian painter, a student of Roman archeology, and son-in-law of Jacopo Bellini. Like other artists of the time, Mantegna experimented with perspective, e.g. by lowering the horizon in orde ...

, ''Judith'', 1490s File:Werkst. Lucas Cranach d.Ä. - Judith mit dem Kopf von Holofernes (National Gallery of Ireland).jpg, Workshop of

Lucas Cranach the Elder Lucas Cranach the Elder (german: Lucas Cranach der Ältere ; – 16 October 1553) was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving. He was court painter to the Electors of Saxony for most of his career, and is kno ...

, ''Judith with the Head of Holofernes'', c 1550 File:Tiziano Vecelli - Ecce Homo (National Gallery of Ireland).jpg,

Titian Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian (Venetian) painter of the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, nea ...

, ''Ecce Homo'', 1558–60 File:Hendrick Avercam 045.jpg, Hendrick Avercamp, ''Scene on the Ice'', c 1620 File:Rembrandt van Rijn - Interior with Figures (ca.1628).jpg, Rembrandt, ''Interior with Figures'', 1628 File:Christ in the House of Martha and Mary 1628 Jan Bruegel2 and Rubens.jpg,

Jan Brueghel the Younger Jan Brueghel (also Bruegel or Breughel) the Younger (, ; ; 13 September 1601 – 1 September 1678) was a Flemish Baroque painter. He was the son of Jan Brueghel the Elder, and grandson of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, both prominent painters who ...

and

Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradi ...

, ''Christ in the House of Martha and Mary'', 1628 File:Paulus Moreelse - Girl - 1623.jpg,

Paulus Moreelse Paulus Moreelse (1571 – 6 March 1638) was a Dutch painter, mainly of portraits. Life Moreelse was born and lived most of his life in Utrecht. He was a pupil of the Delft portrait painter Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt, who had himself bee ...

, ''Girl wearing a Gold Chain'', 1632 File:Rembrandt - Portrait of a Woman with Gloves - NGI.808.jpg, Rembrandt, ''Portrait of a Woman with Gloves'', c 1632-1642 File:Hals, Frans - Fisher Boy - 1630-32.jpg, Frans Hals, ''Fisher Boy'', c 1630-32 File:Dirck Hals - A Woman Sewing by Candlelight (1633).jpg,

Dirck Hals Dirck Hals (19 March 1591 – 17 May 1656), born at Haarlem, was a Dutch Golden Age painter of merry company scenes, festivals and ballroom scenes. He played a role in the development of these types of genre painting. He was somewhat infl ...

, ''A Woman Sewing by Candlelight'', 1633 File:Sainte Famille - Poussin - National Gallery of Ireland.jpg, Nicolas Poussin, ''The Holy Family'' (''Sainte Famille''), c 1649 File:Jacob Isaacksz. van Ruisdael - Bentheim Castle - WGA20467.jpg,

Jacob van Ruisdael Jacob Isaackszoon van Ruisdael (; 1629 – 10 March 1682) was a Dutch painter, draughtsman, and etcher. He is generally considered the pre-eminent landscape painter of the Dutch Golden Age, a period of great wealth and cultural ach ...

, ''Burg Bentheim'', 1653 File:La mulata, by Diego Velázquez.jpg, Diego Velázquez, ''La mulata (La cena de Emaús)'', before 1660 File:William Hogarth 009.jpg,

William Hogarth William Hogarth (; 10 November 1697 – 26 October 1764) was an English painter, engraver, pictorial satirist, social critic, editorial cartoonist and occasional writer on art. His work ranges from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like ...

, ''A Woman Swearing a Child to a Grave Citizen'', c.1729 File:Hellelil and Hildebrand, the meeting on the turret stairs, by Frederic William Burton.jpg, Frederic William Burton, ''The Meeting on the Turret Stairs'', 1864 File:Walter Osborne In a Dublin Park, Light and Shade.jpg,

Walter Osborne Walter Frederick Osborne (17 June 1859 – 24 April 1903) was an Irish impressionist and Post-Impressionism landscape and portrait painter, best known for his documentary depictions of late 19th century working class life. Most of his painti ...

, '' In a Dublin Park, Light and Shade'', 1895

Spanish

Luis de Morales Luis de Morales (1509 – 9 May 1586) was a Spanish painter active during the Spanish Renaissance in the 16th century. Known as "El Divino", most of his work was of religious subjects, including many representations of the Madonna and Child and ...

(c.1592–86) ''St Jerome in the Wilderness'' 1570s *

Jusepe de Ribera Jusepe de Ribera (1591 – 1652) was a painter and printmaker, who along with Francisco de Zurbarán, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, and the singular Diego Velázquez, are regarded as the major artists of Spanish Baroque painting. Referring ...

(1591?–1652) ''St Onuphrius'' late 1620s * Diego Velázquez (1599–1660) '' Kitchen Maid with the Supper of Emmaus'', c.1617–18 *

Francisco de Zurbarán Francisco de Zurbarán ( , ; baptized 7 November 1598 – 27 August 1664) was a Spanish painter. He is known primarily for his religious paintings depicting monks, nuns, and martyrs, and for his still-lifes. Zurbarán gained the nickname "Spanish ...

(1598–1664) ''The Immaculate Conception'' early 1660s * Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617–82) ''The Return of the Prodigal Son'' c.1660 * Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1746–1828) '' Dona Antonia Zarate'' c.1805–06 *

Pablo Ruiz Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

(1881–1973) ''Still-Life with Mandolin'' 1924 *

Juan Gris José Victoriano González-Pérez (23 March 1887 – 11 May 1927), better known as Juan Gris (; ), was a Spanish painter born in Madrid who lived and worked in France for most of his active period. Closely connected to the innovative artistic ge ...

(1887–1927) ''Pierrot'' 1921

French

* Jacques Yverni (flourished 1410–38) ''The Annunciation'' c.1435 * Nicolas Poussin (1594–1665) ** ''Acis and Galatea'' 1627–28 ** ''The Lamentation over the Dead Christ'' 1657–60 * Jean Lemaire (1598–1659) ''Architecture Landscape with Classical Figures'' 1627–30 * Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin (1699–1779) ''Still Life: Two Rabbits, a Grey Partridge, Game Bag and Powder Flask'' 1731 *

Jean-Honoré Fragonard Jean-Honoré Fragonard (; 5 April 1732 (birth/baptism certificate) – 22 August 1806) was a French painter and printmaker whose late Rococo manner was distinguished by remarkable facility, exuberance, and hedonism. One of the most prolific art ...

(1732–1806) ''Venus and Cupid (Day)'' c.1755 *

Eugène Delacroix Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix ( , ; 26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school.Noon, Patrick, et al., ''Crossing the Channel: Britis ...

(1798–1863) ''Demosthenes on the Seashore'' 1859 *

Gustave Courbet Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet ( , , ; 10 June 1819 – 31 December 1877) was a French painter who led the Realism movement in 19th-century French painting. Committed to painting only what he could see, he rejected academic convention and ...

(1819–77) ''Portrait of Adolphe Marlet'' 1851 *

Alfred Sisley Alfred Sisley (; ; 30 October 1839 – 29 January 1899) was an Impressionist landscape painter who was born and spent most of his life in France, but retained British citizenship. He was the most consistent of the Impressionists in his dedicatio ...

(1819–99) ''The Banks of the Canal du Loing at Saint-Mammes'' 1888 *

Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. Durin ...

(1840–1926) ''Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sailboat'' 1874 *

Paul Signac Paul Victor Jules Signac ( , ; 11 November 1863 – 15 August 1935) was a French Neo-Impressionist painter who, working with Georges Seurat, helped develop the Pointillist style. Biography Paul Signac was born in Paris on 11 November 1863. ...

(1863–1935) ''Lady on the Terrace'' 1898 *

Kees van Dongen Cornelis Theodorus Maria "Kees" van Dongen (26 January 1877 – 28 May 1968) was a Dutch-French painter who was one of the leading Fauves. Van Dongen's early work was influenced by the Hague School and symbolism and it evolved gradually into a r ...

(1877–1968) ''Stella in a Flowered Hat'' c.1907 *

Chaïm Soutine Chaïm Soutine (13 January 1893 – 9 August 1943) was a Belarusian painter who made a major contribution to the expressionist movement while living and working in Paris. Inspired by classic painting in the European tradition, exemplified by the ...

(1893–1943) ''Landscape with the Flight of Stairs'' c.1922

Italian

* Master of Verucchio (14th century) ''The Crucifixion, Noli me tangere'' c.1330–40 *

Fra Angelico Fra Angelico (born Guido di Pietro; February 18, 1455) was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance, described by Vasari in his '' Lives of the Artists'' as having "a rare and perfect talent".Giorgio Vasari, ''Lives of the Artists''. Pengu ...

(1417–55) ''Sts Cosmas and Damian and their Brothers surviving the Stake'' c.1440–42 *

Zanobi Strozzi Zanobi di Benedetto di Caroccio degli Strozzi (17 November 1412 – 6 December 1468), normally referred to more simply as Zanobi Strozzi, was an Italian Renaissance painter and manuscript illuminator active in Florence and nearby Fiesole. He was ...

(attribute to) (1412–68) ''Assumption of the Virgin with Sts Jerome and Francis'' 1460s *

Filippino Lippi Filippino Lippi (April 1457 – 18 April 1504) was an Italian painter working in Florence, Italy during the later years of the Early Renaissance and first few years of the High Renaissance. Biography Filippino Lippi was born in Prato, Tusc ...

(1457–1504) ''Portrait of a Musician'' late 1480s *

(c.1485/90–1576) ''Ecce Homo'' c.1558/60 * Giovan Battista Moroni (before 1524–1578) ''Portrait of a Gentleman and his two Children'' c.1570 * Caravaggio (1571–1610) ''

'' 1602 * Guido Reni (1575–1624) ''The Suicide of Cleopatra'' c.1639–40 *

Domenichino Domenico Zampieri (, ; October 21, 1581 – April 6, 1641), known by the diminutive Domenichino (, ) after his shortness, was an Italian Baroque painter of the Bolognese School of painters. Life Domenichino was born in Bologna, son of a sho ...

(1581–1641) ''Saint Mary Magdalene'' c.1625 *

(1591–1666) ''Jacob blessing the Sons of Jacob'' c.1620 * Sassoferrato (1609–85) ''Virgin and Child'' 1630s *

Luca Giordano Luca Giordano (18 October 1634 – 3 January 1705) was an Italian late-Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Fluent and decorative, he worked successfully in Naples and Rome, Florence, and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain. Earl ...

(1634–1705) ''Venus, Mars and the Forge of Vulcan'' 1660s *

Carlo Maratta Carlo Maratta or Maratti (13 May 162515 December 1713) was an Italian painter, active mostly in Rome, and known principally for his classicizing paintings executed in a Late Baroque Classical manner. Although he is part of the classical tradition ...

(1625–1713) ''The Rape of Europa'' c. 1680–1685 * Francesco Solimena (1657–1747) ''Allegory of Winter'' c.1690 *

Canaletto Giovanni Antonio Canal (18 October 1697 – 19 April 1768), commonly known as Canaletto (), was an Italian painter from the Republic of Venice, considered an important member of the 18th-century Venetian school. Painter of city views or ...

(1697–1768) ''St. Mark's Square'' c.1756 * Ugolino di Nerio (early 14th Century) ''Prophet Isaiah'' *

Paolo Uccello Paolo Uccello ( , ; 1397 – 10 December 1475), born Paolo di Dono, was an Italian (Florentine) painter and mathematician who was notable for his pioneering work on visual perspective in art. In his book ''Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, S ...

(1397–1475) ''Virgin and Child''

German and Swiss

* Salzburg School ''Christ on the Cross with the Virgin Mary and John'' c.1430 * Master of the Youth of St Romold (active c.1490) ''St Romold taking leave of his Parents'' c.1490 * Georg Pencz (active 1500–50) ''Portrait of a Gentleman'' 1549 * Angelica Kauffman (1741–1807) ''The Ely Family'' 1771 *

Emil Nolde Emil Nolde (born Hans Emil Hansen; 7 August 1867 – 13 April 1956) was a German-Danish painter and printmaker. He was one of the first Expressionists, a member of Die Brücke, and was one of the first oil painting and watercolor painters of th ...

(1867–1956) ''Two Women in a Garden'' 1915

Flemish

Pieter Brueghel the Younger Pieter Brueghel (also Bruegel or Breughel) the Younger (, ; ; between 23 May and 10 October 1564 – between March and May 1638) was a Flemish painter, known for numerous copies after his father Pieter Bruegel the Elder's work as well as h ...

(1564–c.1637) ''Peasant Wedding'' 1620 *

(1577–1640) ''St Peter finding the Tribute Money'' 1617–18 * Jacob Jordaens (1593–1678) ** ''The Veneration of the Eucharist'' c.1630 ** ''The Supper at Emmaus'' c.1645–65 * Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641) ''A Boy standing on a Terrace'' c.1623–24

Dutch

Marinus van Reymerswaele Marinus may refer to: *Marinus (crater), a crater on the Moon *Marinus (given name), for people named Marinus *Dr. Marinus, a recurring character in the novels of David Mitchell See also *''The Keys of Marinus ''The Keys of Marinus'' is the ...

(attributed) (c.1490/95–c.1567) ''The Calling of Matthew'' c.1530–40 * Gerrit van Honthorst (1590–1656) ''A Musical Party'' c.1616–18 * Rembrandt (and studio) (1606–69) ''La Main Chaude'' c.1628 * Willem Cornelisz Duyster (1599–1635) ''Interior with Soldiers'' 1632 *

Aelbert Cuyp Aelbert Jacobszoon Cuyp () (20 October 1620 – 15 November 1691) was one of the leading Dutch Golden Age painters, producing mainly landscapes. The most famous of a family of painters, the pupil of his father Jacob Gerritszoon Cuyp (1594–1651 ...

(1620–91) ''Milking Cows'' 1640s? * Matthias Stomer (1600–after 1650) ''The Arrest of Christ'' c.1641 * Rembrandt (1606–69) ''Landscape with the Rest on the Flight into Egypt'' 1647 *

Willem Drost Willem Drost (baptized 19 April 1633 – buried 25 February 1659) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker of history paintings and portraits. Biography He is a mysterious figure, closely associated with Rembrandt, with very few pain ...

(1652–80) ''Bust of a Man Wearing a Large-brimmed Hat'' c.1654 *

Anthonie de Lorme Anthonie de Lorme (Tournai 1610 or between 1600 and 1605 – Rotterdam, 1673)Anthonie de Lorme
at the

(1610–73) ''Interior of St Laurenskerk, Rotterdam'' c.1660–65 *

Gabriel Metsu In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብር� ...

(1629–67) ** ''Man Writing a Letter'' c.1663 ** ''Woman Reading a Letter'' c.1663 *

Jan Steen Jan Havickszoon Steen (c. 1626 – buried 3 February 1679) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, one of the leading genre painters of the 17th century. His works are known for their psychological insight, sense of humour and abundance of colour. Lif ...

(1625/26–79) ** ''The Village School'' c.1665 ** ''The Marriage Feast at Cana'' 1665–70 *

Johannes Vermeer Johannes Vermeer ( , , see below; also known as Jan Vermeer; October 1632 – 15 December 1675) was a Dutch Baroque Period painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle-class life. During his lifetime, he was a moderately succe ...

(1632–75) ''

Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid ''Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid'' ( nl, Schrijvende vrouw met dienstbode) is a painting by the Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer, completed in 1670–1671 and held in the National Gallery of Ireland, in Dublin. The work shows a middle-class ...

'' c.1670 *

Cornelis Troost __NOTOC__ Cornelis Troost (8 October 1696 – 7 March 1750) was an 18th-century actor and painter from Amsterdam. Troost was trained as an actor and married the actress Susanna Maria van der Duyn, but became a pupil of Arnold Boonen and g ...

(1696–1750) ''Jeronimus Tonneman and his son Jeronimus'' 1736 * Nicolaes de Giselaer ''Interior with Figures'' * Emanuel de Witte ''Church Interior'' * Frans Hals '' Fisher boy with basket''

British and American

(1697–1764) ** ''The Western Family'' c.1738 ** ''The Mackinen Children'' c.1747 *

Thomas Gainsborough Thomas Gainsborough (14 May 1727 (baptised) – 2 August 1788) was an English portrait and landscape painter, draughtsman, and printmaker. Along with his rival Sir Joshua Reynolds, he is considered one of the most important British artists of ...

1727–88 ** ''A view in Suffolk'' c.1746 ** ''Mrs Christopher Horton (1743–1808) later Duchess of Cumberland'' 1766 ** ''The Cottage Girl'' 1785 * Joshua Reynolds (1723–92) ** ''Parody of Raphael's 'School of Athens' '' 1751 ** ''The Temple Family'' 1780–82 ** ''

Omai Mai (c.1751-late 1779), known as Omai in Britain, was a young Ra'iatean man who became the second Pacific Islander to visit Europe, after Ahu-toru who was brought to Paris by Bougainville in 1768. Life Ma'i, born c.1751, described himself ...

'' 1776 (On loan from a private collection) ** ''Charles Coote, The First Earl of Bellamont'' 1776 *

Henry Raeburn Sir Henry Raeburn (; 4 March 1756 – 8 July 1823) was a Scottish portrait painter. He served as Portrait Painter to King George IV in Scotland. Biography Raeburn was born the son of a manufacturer in Stockbridge, on the Water of Leith: a f ...

(1756–1823) ''Sir John and Lady Clerk of Penicuik'' 1791 * George Romney (1734–1802) ''Titania, Puck and the Changeling, from Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' '' 1793 * John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) ''The Bead Stringers of Venice'' 1880–82 * Stanley Royle (1888–1961) ''The Goose Girl'' c.1921 * Francis Wheatley (1747–1801) ''The Dublin Volunteers on College Green, 4 November 1779'' 1779–80 * Andrew Festing (1941–present)

Irish

* Kevin Abosch (photographer) (1969) "Portrait of Brian O'Driscoll" 2011 * James Barry (1741–1806) **''The Temptation of Adam'' 1767–70 **''Self-portrait as Timanths'' c.1780–1803 **''The Death of Adonis'' *

Augustus Nicholas Burke Augustus Joseph Nicholas Burke (28 July 1838 – 1891) was an Irish artist and an Academician of the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA). Early life Burke was born into the Galway Burkes of Glinsk and was the sixth son of William Burke of K ...

(1838–1891) '' Connemara Girl (1865)''. *

Nathaniel Hone the Elder Nathaniel Hone (24 April 1718 – 14 August 1784) was an Irish-born portrait and miniature painter, and one of the founder members of the Royal Academy in 1768. Early life The son of a Dublin-based Dutch merchant, Hone moved to Englan ...

(1718–84) ''The Conjurer'', 1775 * Hugh Douglas Hamilton (1740–1808) ''Frederick Hervey, Bishop of Derry and Fourth Earl of Bristol (1730–1803), with his Granddaughter Lady Caroline Crichton (1779–1856), in the Gardens of the Villa Borghese, Rome'' c.1790 * Francis Danby (1793–1861) ''The Opening of the Sixth Seal'', 1828 * Daniel Maclise (1806–1870) '' The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife'', 1854 * Sarah Purser (1848–1943) ''Le Petit Dejeuner'' 1881 * Roderic O'Conor (1860–1940) ''Le Jeune Bretonne'' c.1895 *

(1859–1903) '' Dublin Streets: a Vendor of Books'', 1889, '' In a Dublin Park, Light and Shade'' c.1895 *

John Lavery Sir John Lavery (20 March 1856 – 10 January 1941) was a Northern Irish painter best known for his portraits and wartime depictions. Life and career John Lavery was born in inner North Belfast, baptised at St Patrick's Church, Belfast an ...

(1856–1941) ''The Artist's Studio: Lady Hazel Lavery with her Daughter Alice and Step-Daughter Eileen'' 1909–13 * Paul Henry (1876–1958) ''Launching the Currach'' 1910–11 * William John Leech (1881–1968) ''Convent Garden, Brittany'' c.1912 *

Sean Keating Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as '' Shaun/Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; anglic ...

(1889–1977) ''An Allegory'' c.1922 * Mainie Jellett (1897–1944) ''Decoration'' 1923 * Gerard Dillon (1916–1971) ''The Little Green Fields'' c.1945 *

Louis le Brocquy __NOTOC__ Louis le Brocquy ''HRHA'' (; 10 November 1916 – 25 April 2012) was an Irish painter born in Dublin to Albert and Sybil le Brocquy. His work received many accolades in a career that spanned some seventy years of creative practice. ...

(1916–2012) ''A Family'' 1951 *

William Orpen Major Sir William Newenham Montague Orpen, (27 November 1878 – 29 September 1931) was an Irish artist who worked mainly in London. Orpen was a fine draughtsman and a popular, commercially successful painter of portraits for the well-to-do in ...

(1878–1931) "Portrait of John Count McCormack" 1923

The Yeats Collection

* Jack B. Yeats (1871–1957) ** ''Bachelor's Walk, in Memory'' 1915 (On loan from a private collection) ** ''The Liffey Swim'' 1923 ** ''A Morning in a City'' 1937 ** ''Grief'' 1952 *

John Butler Yeats John Butler Yeats (16 March 1839 – 3 February 1922) was an Irish people, Irish artist and the father of W. B. Yeats, Lily Yeats, Elizabeth Yeats, Elizabeth Corbett "Lolly" Yeats and Jack Butler Yeats. The National Gallery of Ireland holds a nu ...

(1839–1922) ''John O'Leary'' 1904

Drawings and watercolours

* James Malton (1760–1803) ''The Custom House'' *

Joseph Mallord William Turner Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 177519 December 1851), known in his time as William Turner, was an English Romantic painter, printmaker and watercolourist. He is known for his expressive colouring, imaginative landscapes and turbule ...

(1775–1851) ** ''A Ship against the Mewstone, at the Entrance to Plymouth Sound'' ** ''Fishing Boats on Folkestone Beach'' *

Dante Gabriel Rossetti Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti (), was an English poet, illustrator, painter, translator and member of the Rossetti family. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhoo ...

(1828–82) ''Jane Burden as Queen Guinevere'' 1858 *

Frederick William Burton Sir Frederic William Burton (8 April 1816 in Wicklow – 16 March 1900 in London) was an Irish painter who was born in County Wicklow and taken by his parents to live in County Clare on the west coast of Ireland at the age of six. He was t ...

(1816–1900) ''Hellelil and Hildebrand, the Meeting on Turret Stairs, 1864'' 1864 *

James Abbott McNeill Whistler James Abbott McNeill Whistler (; July 10, 1834July 17, 1903) was an American painter active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom. He eschewed sentimentality and moral allusion in painting and was a leading pr ...

(1834–1903) ''Nocturne in Grey and Gold – Piccadilly, 1881–83'' * Edgar Degas (1834–1917) ''Two Ballet Dancers in a Dressing Room'' *

(1881–1973) ''Two Dancers'' 1925

Zurich Portrait Prize

Originally the Hennessy Portrait Prize, the Zurich Portrait Prize is an exhibition of commissioned artists creating works of portraiture. The Prize is open to artists in all mediums who are either citizens in Ireland or Irish citizens living abroad. The prize consists of €15,000 and a €5,000 commission to create a portrait that would be exhibited in the gallery. Previous winners include * 2018 Mandy O'Neill * 2019 Enda Bowe. When it was the Hennessy Portrait Prize, the prize winners were * 2017 Jack Hickey * 2016 Gerry Davis * 2015 Vera Klute * 2014 Nick Miller

Library and archives collections

Th
library and archives collections
at the National Gallery of Ireland encompass unique and historically significant collections for the study of art history. The origins of the collections can be traced back to the foundation of the institution over one hundred and sixty years ago. Covering the visual arts from the classical to the contemporary these collections continue to be a vital research element of the National Collection. The development of the library and archive has been supported principally through public funding and the private donations of generous benefactors. Open to the public, it has particularly rich holdings relating to the history of western European art from the Middle Ages on, and the collections relating to Irish and Italian art are extensive. The collection amounts to over 100,000 published volumes, in addition to significant archival holdings.

References

Citations

Sources

; Irish Statute Book
National Gallery of Ireland Act 1854

National Gallery of Ireland Act 1855
* National Gallery (Amendment) Act 1865: see
National Gallery of Ireland Act 1928

National Gallery of Ireland Act 1963

National Cultural Institutions Act 1997, Part VI
;Secondary * Raymond Keaveney (2002), ''The National Gallery of Ireland: Essential Guide''. London: Scala Publishers. * Homan Potterton (2003), ''The National Gallery of Ireland'' in Brian Lalor (Ed.) '' The Encyclopedia of Ireland''. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. * Homan Potterton, Introduction to ''National Gallery of Ireland: Illustrated Summary Catalogue of Paintings''. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan.

External links

National Gallery of Ireland websiteReports of the Director of the National Gallery of Ireland 1883–1920
from EPPI (Enhanced British Parliamentary Papers on Ireland) {{Authority control Art museums established in 1864 Art museums and galleries in the Republic of Ireland Arts in Dublin (city) Irish art National museums of the Republic of Ireland Museums in Dublin (city) 1864 establishments in Ireland

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

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