Art In Northern Ireland
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Irish art is art produced in the island of Ireland, and by artists from Ireland. The term normally includes Irish-born artists as well as expatriates settled in Ireland. Its history starts around 3200 BC with
Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
stone carvings at the
Newgrange Newgrange () is a prehistoric monument in County Meath in Ireland, placed on a rise overlooking the River Boyne, west of the town of Drogheda. It is an exceptionally grand passage tomb built during the Neolithic Period, around 3100 BC, makin ...
megalithic tomb, part of the
Brú na Bóinne (, "mansion or palace of the Boyne"), also called the Boyne Valley tombs, is an ancient monument complex and ritual landscape in County Meath, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, located in a bend of the River Boyne. It is one of the world's most im ...
complex which still stands today, County Meath. In early-
Bronze Age Ireland The prehistory of Ireland has been pieced together from archaeological evidence, which has grown at an increasing rate over recent decades. It begins with the first evidence of permanent human residence in Ireland around 10,500 BC (although the ...
there is evidence of
Beaker culture The Bell Beaker culture, also known as the Bell Beaker complex or Bell Beaker phenomenon, is an archaeological culture named after the inverted-bell Beaker (archaeology), beaker drinking vessel used at the beginning of the European Bronze Age, ...
and widespread metalworking. Trade-links with Britain and Northern Europe introduced
La Tène culture The La Tène culture (; ) was a Iron Age Europe, European Iron Age culture. It developed and flourished during the late Iron Age (from about 450 BC to the Roman Republic, Roman conquest in the 1st century BC), succeeding the early Iron Age ...
and Celtic art to Ireland by about 300 BC, but while these styles later changed or disappeared elsewhere under Roman subjugation, Ireland was left alone to develop Celtic designs: notably
Celtic cross upright 0.75 , A Celtic cross symbol The Celtic cross is a form of ringed cross, a Christian cross featuring a nimbus or ring, that emerged in the British Isles and Western Europe in the Early Middle Ages. It became widespread through its u ...
es, spiral designs, and the intricate
interlaced Interlaced video (also known as interlaced scan) is a technique for doubling the perceived frame rate of a video display without consuming extra bandwidth. The interlaced signal contains two fields of a video frame captured consecutively. Th ...
patterns of
Celtic knot Celtic knots (, , , ) are a variety of knots and Style (visual arts)#Stylization, stylized graphical representations of knots used for decoration, used extensively in the Celtic style of Insular art. These knots are most known for their adapta ...
work. The
Christianization of Ireland Christianization (or Christianisation) is a term for the specific type of change that occurs when someone or something has been or is being converted to Christianity. Christianization has, for the most part, spread through missions by individu ...
in the fifth century AD saw the establishment of monasteries, which acted as centres of scholarship and artistic production, and led to the flowering of the
Insular art Insular art, also known as Hiberno-Saxon art, was produced in the sub-Roman Britain, post-Roman era of Great Britain and Ireland. The term derives from ''insula'', the Latin language, Latin term for "island"; in this period Britain and Ireland ...
style with its highly decorative
illuminated manuscripts An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared manuscript, document where the text is decorated with flourishes such as marginalia, borders and Miniature (illuminated manuscript), miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Churc ...
, metalwork and stonework (
High cross A high cross or standing cross (, , ) is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. There was a unique Early Medieval tradition in Ireland and Britain of raising large sculpted stone crosses, usually outdoors. Th ...
es). From around 1200 to 1700, however, Irish art was relatively stagnant, and Irish culture was left comparatively untouched by the influence of
Renaissance art Renaissance art (1350 – 1620) is the painting, sculpture, and decorative arts of the period of European history known as the Renaissance, which emerged as a distinct style in Italy in about AD 1400, in parallel with developments which occurr ...
. From the late 17th century, artists in the general contemporary styles of European
fine art In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function (such as ...
began to emerge, particularly the painting of portraiture and landscapes. The early 18th century saw increased prosperity and establishment of new cultural institutions including the
Royal Dublin Society The Royal Dublin Society (RDS) () is an Irish philanthropic organisation and members club which was founded as the 'Dublin Society' on 25 June 1731 with the aim to see Ireland thrive culturally and economically. It was long active as a learned ...
(1731) and
Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the natural sciences, arts, literature, and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned society and one of its le ...
(1785). With a small pool of patrons and better opportunities to be found abroad, many Irish artists emigrated, especially to London (portraitists) or Paris (landscapists), which stifled the nascent indigenous scene. By the start of the 20th century, things began to improve. Opportunities began to spring up at home; the
Celtic Revival The Celtic Revival (also referred to as the Celtic Twilight) is a variety of movements and trends in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries that see a renewed interest in aspects of Celtic culture. Artists and writers drew on the traditions of Gae ...
movement saw a renewed interest in aspects of Celtic culture,
Hugh Lane Sir Hugh Percy Lane (9 November 1875 – 7 May 1915) was an Irish art dealer, collector and gallery director. He is best known for establishing Dublin's Municipal Gallery of Modern Art (the first known public gallery of modern art in the ...
established the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, the first public gallery of its kind in the world, and with increased patronage a new generation of homegrown talent and returning emigres gradually formed a solid basis for the regrowth of art in Ireland. The foundation of an independent Irish State in the early 1920s did not significantly alter the state of Ireland's visual arts; in the years following Independence, the arts establishment (exemplified by the committee of the
Royal Hibernian Academy The Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts (RHA) is an artist-based and artist-oriented institution in Ireland, founded in Dublin in 1823. Like many other Irish institutions, such as the Royal Irish Academy, the academy retained the word "Royal" after mo ...
) was dominated by traditionalists who steadfastly opposed attempts to bring Irish art into line with contemporary European styles.


Early Irish art


Up to 200 AD

Irish gold personal ornaments began to be produced within about 200 years either side of 2000 BC, especially in the thin crescent-shaped gold disks known as lunulae, which were probably first made in Ireland, where over eighty of the around one hundred known examples were found. A range of thin decorated gold discs, bands and plaques, often with pin-holes, were probably attached to clothing, and objects that appear to be earrings have also been found. By around 1400–1000 BC, heavier thin
torc A torc, also spelled torq or torque, is a large rigid or stiff neck ring in metal, made either as a single piece or from strands twisted together. The great majority are open at the front, although some have hook and ring closures and a few hav ...
s and bangles have been found. The Late
Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
of 900–600 BC saw the peak of the surviving Irish prehistoric goldsmithing, with superbly worked pieces in simple but very sophisticated designs, notably in a type of dress-fastener that looks like a double-ended trumpet curved round so that the two bell mouths are roughly pointing in the same direction. There are also a series of grand gold collars, representing a development of the lunula, with round plates at either end, and a broad corrugated U-shaped body, decorated geometrically along the ridges and troughs of the corrugations. Goldwork all but disappears in the
Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
, except for the late and enigmatic Broighter Hoard of the 1st century BC, which appears to mix local and Roman pieces. Although Ireland tends to be strongly associated in the popular mind with Celtic art, the early Continental style of
Hallstatt Hallstatt () is a small town in the district of Gmunden District, Gmunden, in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. Situated between the southwestern shore of Hallstätter See and the steep slopes of the Dachstein massif, the town lies in the Sa ...
style never reached Ireland, and the succeeding La Tène style reached Ireland very late, perhaps from about 300 BC, and has left relatively few remains, which are often described by art historians together with their British contemporaries as "Insular Celtic". Buried ironwork does not last long in Irish conditions, and gold is very rare, so the survivals are normally in bronze. The
Petrie Crown Petrie is a surname of Scottish origin which may refer to: People * Alexander Petrie (died 1662), Scottish minister * Alexander Petrie (architect) (c. 1842–1905), Scottish architect * Alistair Petrie (born 1970), English actor * Andrew Petrie ...
, Loughnashade Trumpet and a series of discs whose function is mysterious are among the most striking pieces. The decoration on a number of bronze scabbards, many found in the
River Bann The River Bann (from , meaning "the goddess"; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Bann Wattèr'') is the longest rivers, river in Northern Ireland, its length, Upper and Lower Bann combined, being 129 km (80 mi). The total length ...
, have inspired much discussion, as they seem close to other pieces from as far away as Hungary, and the possibility of an immigrant master has been raised. The
National Museum of Ireland The National Museum of Ireland () is Ireland's leading museum institution, with a strong emphasis on national and some international archaeology, Irish history, Irish art, culture, and natural history. It has three branches in Dublin, the arch ...
in
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
holds the majority of major finds from the whole prehistoric period, with others in the
Ulster Museum The Ulster Museum, located in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, has around 8,000 square metres (90,000 sq. ft.) of public display space, featuring material from the collections of fine art and applied art, archaeology, ethnography, treasures ...
in Belfast and the
British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...
in London.


200 to 1150

Material from Ireland with La Tène style ornament from the third to fifth centuries AD is difficult to demonstrate. In the 6th to 8th centuries the art of the newly Christianised Irish mixed with Mediterranean and Germanic traditions through Irish missionary contacts with the
Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...
, creating what is called
Insular art Insular art, also known as Hiberno-Saxon art, was produced in the sub-Roman Britain, post-Roman era of Great Britain and Ireland. The term derives from ''insula'', the Latin language, Latin term for "island"; in this period Britain and Ireland ...
(or the Hiberno-Saxon style) and the second and best known great period of Irish art. This is exemplified in such masterpieces as the
Book of Kells The Book of Kells (; ; Dublin, Trinity College Library, MS A. I. 8 sometimes known as the Book of Columba) is an illustrated manuscript and Celts, Celtic Gospel book in Latin, containing the Gospel, four Gospels of the New Testament togeth ...
, the
Ardagh Chalice The Ardagh Hoard, best known for the Ardagh Chalice, is a hoard of metalwork from the 8th and 9th centuries. Found in 1868 by two young local boys, Jim Quin and Paddy Flanagan, it is now on display in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin. I ...
and the
Tara Brooch The Tara Brooch is an Irish Celtic brooch, dated to the late 7th or early 8th century. It is of the pseudo-penannular type (with a fully closed head or hoop), and made from bronze, silver and gold. Its head consists of an intricately decorated ...
, the most spectacular of about fifty elaborate
Celtic brooch The Celtic brooch, more properly called the penannular brooch, and its closely related type, the pseudo-penannular brooch, are types of brooch clothes fasteners, often rather large; penannular means formed as an incomplete ring. They are especial ...
es in precious metal that have been found. The form of the
illuminated manuscript An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared manuscript, document where the text is decorated with flourishes such as marginalia, borders and Miniature (illuminated manuscript), miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Churc ...
book, new to Ireland, was taken up with enthusiam for luxury books, created in the monasteries, that were kept in the monastery church rather than the library, and were displayed to visitors who would appreciate the decorative styles that were close to those of the personal jewellery of the elite. Most were
gospel book A Gospel Book, Evangelion, or Book of the Gospels ( Greek: , ) is a codex or bound volume containing one or more of the four Gospels of the Christian New Testament – normally all four – centering on the life of Jesus of Nazareth and the roo ...
s, with the most elaborate illumination often restricted to a relatively small number of pages with the
evangelist portrait Evangelist portraits are a specific type of miniature included in ancient and mediaeval illuminated manuscript Gospel Books, and later in Bibles and other books, as well as other media. Each Gospel of the Four Evangelists, the books of Matthew, ...
s, their symbols, and abstract
carpet page A carpet page is a full page in an illuminated manuscript containing intricate, non-figurative, patterned designs.Moss, 57 They are a characteristic feature of Insular manuscripts, and typically placed at the beginning of a Gospel Book. Carpet ...
s. Narrative images were very few. The stone
high cross A high cross or standing cross (, , ) is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. There was a unique Early Medieval tradition in Ireland and Britain of raising large sculpted stone crosses, usually outdoors. Th ...
, originally painted, was a distinctive insular type of monument, of which many examples survive. Later in the period,
Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
n influences were added through the
Vikings Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9â ...
.


1150 to 1550

These earlier styles largely came to an end with the
Norman invasion The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, French, Flemish, and Breton troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conquero ...
of 1169–1170 and the subsequent wide adoption of
Romanesque art Romanesque art is the art of Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic Art, Gothic style in the 12th century, or later depending on region. The preceding period is known as the Pre-Romanesque period. The term was invented by 1 ...
. Through the Gothic and Renaissance periods Irish art was essentially a regional variation of wider European styles, with many works imported from England or further afield, and some English artists and craftsmen active in Ireland. Many objects of a distinctively Irish form from the first millennium, such as bell or
book shrine A (, in Irish "cover"Joynt (1917), p. 186) or book shrine is an elaborate ornamented metal reliquary box or case used to hold Early Medieval Irish manuscripts or relics. They are typically later than the book they contain, often by several c ...
reliquaries A reliquary (also referred to as a ''shrine'', ''chasse'', or ''phylactery'') is a container for relics. A portable reliquary, or the room in which one is stored, may also be called a ''feretory''. Relics may be the purported or actual physic ...
, were renovated or repaired in the contemporary style. The superlative standard of the best
Early Medieval The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Middle Ages of Europ ...
works is not seen, but craftsmen such as metalworkers retained a relatively high social status. Many more signed their work than was usual in other countries in this period, but the rate of losses has been such that there is only a single metalworker whose signature is on two surviving pieces. They seem very often to have been attached to the court of a lord, as were poets. A number of important literary or historical manuscripts from the period have survived, many now entirely in the
Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...
; examples include the
Book of Leinster The Book of Leinster ( , LL) is a medieval Irish manuscript compiled and now kept in Trinity College Dublin. It was formerly known as the ''Lebor na Nuachongbála'' ("Book of Nuachongbáil"), a monastic site known today as Oughaval. In 2023 ...
, which is one of several with a text of the ''
Lebor Gabála Érenn ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of Ireland's Taking"; Modern Irish spelling: ''Leabhar Gabhála Éireann'', known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'') is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language inten ...
'' or "Book of Invasions". But there are no surviving manuscripts with significant illumination beyond a few decorated initials. In contrast, the period saw a considerable development in the
architecture of Ireland The architecture of Ireland is one of the most visible features in the Irish countryside – with remains from all eras since the Stone Age abounding. Ireland is famous for its ruined and intact Norman architecture, Norman and Anglo-Irish peopl ...
with several surviving churches and castles in English-influenced styles.


1550 to 1700

Wars, rebellions, and unrest, concentrated in the late 16th century, from 1641 to the 1650s, and after 1688, greatly hindered the developments of the arts, and the processes exemplified by the
Flight of the Earls On 14 September ld Style and New Style dates, O.S. 4 September1607, Irish earls Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, and Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, permanently departed Rathmullan in Ireland for mainland Europe, accompanied by their fa ...
in 1607 largely brought to an end the position of the old elites of
Gaelic Ireland Gaelic Ireland () was the Gaelic political and social order, and associated culture, that existed in Ireland from the late Prehistory of Ireland, prehistoric era until the 17th century. It comprised the whole island before Anglo-Norman invasi ...
, who had been a mainstay of patronage for artists. The visual arts were slow to develop in
Early Modern Ireland Early may refer to: Places in the United States * Early, Iowa, a city * Early, Texas, a city * Early Branch, a stream in Missouri * Early County, Georgia * Fort Early, Georgia, an early 19th century fort Music * Early B, stage name of Jamaican d ...
, due to political disruption, and the lack of patrons in either government, the church, and wealthy resident landowners or business class interested in art. Yet beginning in the late 17th century, Irish painting began to develop, especially in portraiture and
landscape painting Landscape painting, also known as landscape art, is the depiction in painting of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, rivers, trees, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view—with its elements arranged into a cohe ...
. The English portraitist
James Gandy James Gandy (1619–1689) was an English portrait-painter, one of the earliest native English painters. He was certainly one of the earliest portrait painters documented as working in Ireland. Life Gandy was probably a native of Exeter. He ...
was brought to Ireland after his patron
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond Lieutenant-General James FitzThomas Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond, KG, PC (19 October 1610 – 21 July 1688), was an Anglo-Irish statesman and soldier, known as Earl of Ormond from 1634 to 1642 and Marquess of Ormond from 1642 to 1661. Followin ...
became Lord Deputy in 1661, and remained until his death in 1689. By the 1680s the
Dutch Golden Age painter Dutch Golden Age painting is the painting of the Dutch Golden Age, a period in Dutch history roughly spanning the 17th century, during and after the later part of the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) for Dutch independence. The new Dutch Republi ...
Ludowyk Smits Caspar Smits, also known as Ludowyk Smits or Gaspar Smitz, with the surname sometimes spelt "Smith", and the Latin form "Casparus" sometimes used (1635–probably 1688), was a Dutch Golden Age painter, whose main interest today is that he was ...
was able to base himself in Ireland, mainly painting portraits. Irish painters typically looked outside Ireland for influence, training and clients who were wealthy enough to afford the purchase of art.


After 1700

By the 18th century an increasingly stable and prosperous Ireland was able to support a growing range of artists in various media, mostly based in
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
. Edward Smyth (1749–1812), followed by his son
John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
, got the main commissions for architectural sculpture. What became
Belleek Pottery Belleek Pottery Ltd is a porcelain company that began trading in 1884 as the ''Belleek Pottery Works Company Ltd'' in Belleek, County Fermanagh, Ireland in what was to later become Northern Ireland. The factory produces Parian ware that is cha ...
started around 1860, the first Irish manufacturer of fine ceramics, much for export. What is now the
National College of Art and Design The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) is Ireland's oldest art institution, offering the largest range of art and design degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level in the country. Originating as a drawing school in 1746, many of t ...
in Dublin has existed since founded as the Dublin Art School in 1746, training a high proportion of the artists mentioned below. Its founder Robert West had studied drawing and painting at the
French Academy French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...
under
François Boucher François Boucher ( , ; ; 29 September 1703 â€“ 30 May 1770) was a French painter, draughtsman and etcher, who worked in the Rococo style. Boucher is known for his idyllic and voluptuous paintings on classical themes, decorative allegories ...
and
Jean-Baptiste van Loo Jean-Baptiste van Loo (14 January 1684 – 19 December 1745) was a French people, French subject and portrait painter. Life and career He was born in Aix-en-Provence, and was instructed in art by his father Louis-Abraham van Loo, son of Jac ...
. A sculpture school followed later, with Edward Smyth the first principal. As in other areas of work, many artists based themselves in the much larger market offered by England for most of their careers, including the 18th-century landscapist George Barrett, Sr., the portraitist
Nathaniel Hone the Younger Nathaniel Hone the Younger (26 October 1831 – 14 October 1917) was an Irish painter, the great-grand-nephew of the painter Nathaniel Hone. Life and career Hone studied at Trinity College Dublin. He began his career as a railway engi ...
, James Barry,
Daniel Maclise Daniel Maclise (25 January 180625 April 1870) was an Irish history painter, literary and portrait painter, and illustrator, who worked for most of his life in London, England. Early life Maclise was born in Cork, Ireland (then part of the ...
,
John Lavery Sir John Lavery (20 March 1856 – 10 January 1941) was an Irish painter best known for his portraits and wartime depictions. Life and career John Lavery was born in inner North Belfast, on 20 March 1856 and baptised at St Patrick's Church ...
and Sir William Orpen. Sir
Martin Archer Shee Sir Martin Archer Shee (23 December 1769 – 13 August 1850) was an Irish portrait painter. He also served as the president of the Royal Academy. Early life He was born in Dublin, of an old Irish Roman Catholic family, the son of Martin Shee ...
, another portraitist, completed his training in London and stayed, becoming President of the
Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...
in 1831. The portrait sculptor Christopher Hewetson (c.1737–1798) moved to Italy in his twenties, and never left, catching English aristocrats on the Grand Tour, and producing many busts of
Pope Clement XIV Pope Clement XIV (; ; 31 October 1705 â€“ 22 September 1774), born Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 May 1769 to his death in September 1774. At the time of his elec ...
. Thomas Hickey went as far as China, as the official artist of the
Macartney Embassy The Macartney Embassy ( zh, t=馬加爾尼使團), also called the Macartney Mission, was the first British diplomatic mission to China, which took place in 1793. It is named for its leader, George Macartney, Great Britain's first envoy to Ch ...
in 1793, but is best known for his works produced during his several years in
Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...
in India. Despite great success in London and Florence, the portraitist
Hugh Douglas Hamilton Hugh Douglas Hamilton RHA ( – 10 February 1808) was an Irish portrait-painter. He spent considerable periods in London and Rome before returning to Dublin in the early 1790s. Until the mid- 1770s, he worked mostly in pastel. His style ...
eventually returned to Dublin for the last years of his career. Philip Hussey from Cork, began as a sailor, being shipwrecked three times. He moved to painting ships' figureheards and exteriors, before starting a successful portrait practice in Dublin. Later, Walter Frederick Osborne developed his open air painting in France whereas Sir William Orpen studied in London. In the second half of the 19th century a climate of cultural resurgence and nationalist ideals contributed to the development of an Irish style. A revived interest in the
Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...
and Celtic history prompted a revival in the Irish visual arts as well.
Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
born Sir John Lavery may be the most internationally known painter of this generation. He trained in
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
and France, but unlike Orpen, maintained close ties to his native land. In 1928 he was commissioned to paint the symbol of Éire which would be used as the central image on the bank note of the new
Irish Free State The Irish Free State (6 December 192229 December 1937), also known by its Irish-language, Irish name ( , ), was a State (polity), state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-ye ...
. Other paintings embodied the call for independence, such as
Beatrice Elvery Beatrice Moss Elvery, RHA (1881, Dublin – 1970, Rockall, Sandycove) was an Irish painter, stained-glass artist and sculptor. Early life Beatrice Moss Elvery was born in 1881, the second daughter of the Dublin businessman, William Elvery, ...
's ''Éire of 1907'' which depicts the history of
Irish Catholic Irish Catholics () are an ethnoreligious group native to Ireland, defined by their adherence to Catholic Christianity and their shared Irish ethnic, linguistic, and cultural heritage.The term distinguishes Catholics of Irish descent, particul ...
ism with the still-nascent
Irish Republic The Irish Republic ( or ) was a Revolutionary republic, revolutionary state that Irish Declaration of Independence, declared its independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in January 1919. The Republic claimed jurisdict ...
.
Steward, James Christian. The Irishness of Irish Painting. Retrieved Nov. 15, 2007.


Artists

Early Irish masters include: Garret Morphey, Robert Carver, George Barrett, Sr., James Barry,
Hugh Douglas Hamilton Hugh Douglas Hamilton RHA ( – 10 February 1808) was an Irish portrait-painter. He spent considerable periods in London and Rome before returning to Dublin in the early 1790s. Until the mid- 1770s, he worked mostly in pastel. His style ...
. The Irish impressionists included
Roderic O'Conor Roderic O'Conor (17 October 1860 – 18 March 1940) was an Irish painter who spent much of his later career in Paris and as part of the Pont-Aven movement. O'Conor's work demonstrates Impressionist and Post-Impressionist influence. Early life ...
and
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 paint ...
, with other landscape artists:
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 ...
, Susanna Drury, Paul Henry, Nick Miller,
Nathaniel Hone the Younger Nathaniel Hone the Younger (26 October 1831 – 14 October 1917) was an Irish painter, the great-grand-nephew of the painter Nathaniel Hone. Life and career Hone studied at Trinity College Dublin. He began his career as a railway engi ...
and Pat Harris. Notable Irish sculptors have included
Jerome Connor Jerome Connor (23 February 1874 in Coumduff, Annascaul, County Kerry – 21 August 1943 in Dublin) was an Irish sculptor. Life In 1888, he emigrated to Holyoke, Massachusetts. His father was a stonemason, which led to Connor's jobs in New York ...
,
John Henry Foley John Henry Foley (24 May 1818 – 27 August 1874), often referred to as J. H. Foley, was an Irish sculptor, working in London. He is best known for his statues of Daniel O'Connell for the O'Connell Monument in Dublin, and of Prince Albert for t ...
,
Augustus Saint-Gaudens Augustus Saint-Gaudens (; March 1, 1848 – August 3, 1907) was an American sculpture, sculptor of the Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts generation who embodied the ideals of the American Renaissance. Saint-Gaudens was born in Dublin to an Iris ...
(born in Dublin, but emigrated to America at six months old),
Mary Redmond Mary Redmond (1863 – 16 January 1930) was an Ireland, Irish sculptor born in Nenagh, County Tipperary, in 1863, and raised in Ardclough, County Kildare, where her father went to work in the limestone quarries. Early life At school in Ardclo ...
, John Behan and
Oliver Sheppard Oliver Sheppard (10 April 1865 – 14 September 1941) was an Irish sculptor, most famous for his 1911 bronze statue of the mythical Cuchullain dying in battle. His work was also part of the art competitions at the 1924 Summer Olympics and the ...
.
Edward Delaney Edward Delaney (1930 – 22 September 2009) was an Irish sculptor born in Claremorris in County Mayo in 1930. His best-known works include the 1967 statue of Wolfe Tone and famine memorial at the northeastern corner of St Stephen's Green in D ...
,
Rachel Joynt Rachel Joynt (born 1966 in Caherciveen, County Kerry) is an Irish sculpture, sculptor who creates public art. She graduated from the National College of Art and Design in Dublin in 1989 with a degree in sculpture. Her father, Dick Joynt, was ...
, Patrick MacDowell and
Rowan Gillespie Rowan Fergus Meredith Gillespie (born 1953) is an Irish bronze casting sculptor of international renown. Born in Dublin to Irish parents, Gillespie spent his formative years in Cyprus. From conception to creation, he works alone in his purpose-b ...
are contemporary sculptors.
Harry Clarke Henry Patrick Clarke (17 March 1889 – 6 January 1931) was an Irish stained-glass artist and book illustrator. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement. His work was influenced by both the Art Nouveau ...
,
Sarah Purser Sarah Henrietta Purser RHA (22 March 1848 – 7 August 1943) was an Irish artist mainly noted for her portraiture. She was the first woman to become a full member of the Royal Hibernian Academy. She also founded and financially supported An Tà ...
and
Evie Hone Eva Sydney Hone RHA (22 April 1894 – 13 March 1955), usually known as Evie, was an Irish painter and stained glass artist.Nicola Gordon Bowe (May 2009)Hone, Eva Sydney (1894–1955) ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', online editi ...
worked in stained glass. Portraitists have included
Daniel Maclise Daniel Maclise (25 January 180625 April 1870) was an Irish history painter, literary and portrait painter, and illustrator, who worked for most of his life in London, England. Early life Maclise was born in Cork, Ireland (then part of the ...
,
John Lavery Sir John Lavery (20 March 1856 – 10 January 1941) was an Irish painter best known for his portraits and wartime depictions. Life and career John Lavery was born in inner North Belfast, on 20 March 1856 and baptised at St Patrick's Church ...
,
William Orpen Major (United Kingdom), Major Sir William Newenham Montague Orpen, (27 November 1878 – 29 September 1931) was an Irish artist who mainly worked in London. Orpen was a fine draughtsman and a popular, commercially successful painter of portrai ...
(both these War Artists in WWI),
John Butler Yeats John Butler Yeats RHA (16 March 1839 – 3 February 1922) was an Irish artist and the father of W. B. Yeats, Lily Yeats, Elizabeth Corbett "Lollie" Yeats and Jack Butler Yeats. The National Gallery of Ireland holds a number of his portrait ...
(father of Jack and William Butler),
Henry Jones Thaddeus Henry Jones Thaddeus (1859–1929) was a realist and portrait painter born and trained in County Cork, Ireland. Life and career Born Henry Thaddeus Jones in 1859, he entered the ''Cork School of Art'' when he was ten years old. There he studie ...
and
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 England ...
. Apart from
Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626) was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England under King James I. Bacon argued for the importance of nat ...
, who left Ireland as a young man, the best-known 20th-century Irish artist was
Jack Yeats Jack Butler Yeats RHA (29 August 1871 – 28 March 1957) was an Irish artist. Born into a family of impoverished Anglo-Irish landholders, his father was the painter John Butler Yeats, and his brother was the poet W. B. Yeats. Jack B. was ...
, brother of the poet, also with an individual style that is hard to classify. The art of
Seán Keating Seán Keating (born John Keating, 28 September 1889 – 21 December 1977) was an Irish romantic-realist painter who painted some iconic images of the Irish War of Independence and of the early industrialization of Ireland. He spent two week ...
was poised between Social Realism and Romanticism, and addressed public and political themes in an emerging nation. Irish
Modernism Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...
began with
Mainie Jellett Mary Harriet Jellett (29 April 1897 – 16 February 1944) was an Irish painter whose ''Decoration'' (1923) was among the first abstract paintings shown in Ireland when it was exhibited at the Society of Dublin Painters Group Show in 1923. She w ...
, with later participants being
The White Stag group The White Stag Group was a group of artists centred on the painters Basil Rakoczi and Kenneth Hall. Founded in London in 1935, the group moved to Ireland in 1939 and stayed until after the Second World War where they gained Irish members like Th ...
, The Exhibition of Living Art,
Norah McGuinness Norah Allison McGuinness (7 November 1901 – 22 November 1980) was an Irish painter and illustrator. Early life Norah McGuinness was born in County Londonderry. She attended life classes at Derry Technical School and from 1921 studied at ...
,
Louis le Brocquy __NOTOC__ Louis le Brocquy '' HRHA'' (; 10 November 1916 â€“ 25 April 2012) was an Irish painter born in Dublin to Albert and Sybil le Brocquy. Louis' sister is the sculptor Melanie Le Brocquy. His work received many accolades in a caree ...
, Patrick Scott,
Patrick Swift Patrick Swift (1927–1983) was an Irish painter who worked in Dublin, London and the Algarve, Portugal. Overview In Dublin he formed part of the Envoy, A Review of Literature and Art, Envoy arts review / McDaid's pub circle of artistic and l ...
, and John Kingerlee.
Abstract expressionists Abstract expressionism in the United States emerged as a distinct art movement in the aftermath of World War II and gained mainstream acceptance in the 1950s, a shift from the American social realism of the 1930s influenced by the Great Depressi ...
included Tony O'Malley,
Nano Reid Nano Reid (1 March 1900 – 17 November 1981) was an Irish painter who specialised in landscape, figure painting and portraits. Early life and education Nano Reid was born Anne Margaret Reid on 1 March 1900, in Drogheda, County Louth. She w ...
and Patrick Collins.Irish Arts Review Spring 2009: "Patrick Collins: A Modern Celt", Brian Fallon In
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
notable artists have included
John Luke John Luke may refer to: *John A. Luke Jr., chief executive officer of MeadWestvaco * John Luke (artist) (1906–1975), Irish artist * John Luke (died 1452), MP for Dunwich (UK Parliament constituency) * John Luke (English politician) (1563–1638), ...
,
Colin Middleton Colin Middleton (29 January 1910 – 23 December 1983) was a Northern Irish landscape artist, figure painter, and surrealism, surrealist. Middleton's prolific output in an eclectic variety of modernist styles is characterised by an intense inn ...
, William Scott,
Neil Shawcross Neil Shawcross , RHA, HRUA (born 15 March 1940) is an artist born in Kearsley, Lancashire, England, and resident in Northern Ireland since 1962. Primarily a portrait painter, his subjects have included Nobel prize winning poet Seamus Heaney, nov ...
,
Gladys Maccabe (artist) Gladys Maccabe, '' MBE HRUA'' ''FRSA MA(Hons)'' ''ROI'' (5 June 1918 – 22 February 2018) was a Northern Irish artist, journalist and founder of The Ulster Society of Women Artists. Early life Gladys Moore Maccabe was born in Randalstown, Coun ...
,
Basil Blackshaw Basil Joseph Blackshaw ''HRUA, HRHA'' (July 1932 – 2 May 2016) was a Northern Irish artist specialising in animal paintings, portraits and landscapes and an Academician of the Royal Ulster Academy. Early life and education Born in Glengormley ...
and
Frank McKelvey Frank McKelvey (3 June 1895 – 30 June 1974) was an Irish painter from Belfast. Early life and education Francis Baird McKelvey, also known as Frank McKelvey, was born 3 June 1895. He was born in Belfast at 31 Woodvale Road. He was bapti ...
.


Contemporary art

Ireland's best known living artists include
Brian O'Doherty Brian O'Doherty (4 May 1928 – 7 November 2022) was an Irish-American art critic, writer, visual artist, and academic. He lived in New York City for over 50 years, serving as an art critic for ''The New York Times'' and NBC, as well as an edito ...
an art historian, sculptor, and conceptual artist who is based in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
,
Sean Scully Sean Scully (born 30 June 1945) is an Irish-born American-based artist working as a painter, printmaker, sculptor and photographer. His work is held in museum collections worldwide and he has twice been named a Turner Prize nominee. Moving fro ...
an abstract painter who lives and works in New York City,
Dorothy Cross Dorothy Cross (born 1956) is an Irish artist. Working with differing media, including sculpture, photography, video and installation art, installation, she represented Republic of Ireland, Ireland at the 1993 Venice Biennale. Central to her work ...
, a sculptor and filmmaker and James Coleman, an installation and video artist.
Robert Ballagh Robert Ballagh (; born 22 September 1943) is an Irish artist, painter and designer. Born in suburban Dublin, Ballagh's initial painting style was strongly influenced by pop art. He is also known for his hyperrealistic renderings of Irish lite ...
,
Willie Doherty Willie Doherty (born 1959) is an artist from Northern Ireland, who has mainly worked in photography and video. He has twice been a Turner Prize nominee. Life and work Doherty was born in Derry, Northern Ireland, and was educated at St Columb ...
, and Sean Hillen also work in modern media. The Irish Independent Artists exhibited at the David Hendrik's Gallery, Dublin during the 1970s and early 1980s. Joe O'Connor, figurative/dynamic painter of iconic sports heroes was one of its original members. Interest in collecting Irish art has expanded rapidly with the economic expansion of the country, primarily focussing on investment in early twentieth century painters. Support for young Irish artists is still relatively minor compared to their
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
an counterparts, as the Arts Council's focus has been on improving infrastructure and professionalism in venues. An exhibition called 'The Art of a Nation: Irish Works from the Allied Irish Bank and Crawford Art Gallery Collection' was held between 13 and 31 May 2015 at the Mall Galleries, The Mall, London. It celebrated the story of Irish art from 1890s to the present day and included important works by Aloysius O'Kelly, Sir William Orpen, Jack B Yeats, William Scott, Sean Scully and Hughie O'Donoghue. * Kevin Abosch, Gerard Byrne,
Dorothy Cross Dorothy Cross (born 1956) is an Irish artist. Working with differing media, including sculpture, photography, video and installation art, installation, she represented Republic of Ireland, Ireland at the 1993 Venice Biennale. Central to her work ...
, James Coleman,
Amanda Coogan Amanda Coogan (born 1971) is an Irish performance artist, living and working in Dublin. She studied under the performance artist Marina Abramović at the HBK Hochschule für Bildende Kunste, Braunschweig, Germany. In her performance art, she p ...
, Colin Davidson,
Joe Dunne Joseph John Dunne (born 25 May 1973) is an Irish Manager (association football), football manager and former association football, footballer. He is youth team manager at Gillingham F.C., Gillingham. Dunne played as a defender (association fo ...
, Ross Eccles, Fergus Feehily, Gary Farrelly, Ronan Goti, James Hanley,
Gottfried Helnwein Gottfried Helnwein (born 8 October 1948) is an Austrian-Irish visual artist. He has worked as a painter, draftsman, photographer, muralist, sculptor, installation and performance artist, using a wide variety of techniques and media. His work is ...
, Sean Hillen, Mary Fitzgerald,
Vera Klute Vera Klute ARHA (born 1981 in Germany) is a contemporary artist based in Ireland since 2001. Biography Vera Klute was born in 1981 in Salzkotten, Germany. Klute moved to Ireland in 2001 and attended Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and ...
, Stephen Lawlor, John Long,
Paul McCloskey Paul McCloskey (born 3 August 1979) is a former professional boxer from Northern Ireland who competed from 2005 to 2013. He held the British super-lightweight title from 2008 to 2009; the European super-lightweight title from 2009 to 2011; an ...
,
Mick O'Dea Mick O'Dea (born 1958) is an Irish artist best known as a painter of portraits and historical subjects. The second-youngest of five children, O'Dea grew up in Ennis, County Clare, the son of Mick and Margaret O'Dea. He displayed a talent for po ...
, Nick Miller, Michael Mulcahy, Rasher, Peter Richards, Anne Rigney,
Victor Sloan Victor Sloan MBE (born 1945) is a Northern Irish photographer and artist. Life and work Sloan was born in 1945 in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. He studied at the Royal School, Dungannon, County Tyrone and Belfast and Leeds Col ...
,
Paul Seawright Paul Seawright (born 1965) is a Northern Irish artist. He is the professor of photography and the Deputy Vice Chancellor (previously Executive Dean of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Belfast School of Art) at Ulster University in Belf ...
, Samuel Walsh,
Conor Walton Conor Walton (born 1970) is an Irish figurative painter. Walton lives and works in Arklow, Ireland. Biography Walton was born in Ireland and trained at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin and Charles Cecil Studios in Florence, ...
.


Mural painting

Northern Ireland has a significant tradition of political mural painting, from both the
loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
and republican standpoints.


See also

*
List of Irish artists This list of Irish artists includes WP:CREATIVE, notable visual artists born or working mainly in Ireland along with a list of critics, collectors and curators who have had an influence on Irish visual arts. __NOTOC__ A *Kevin Abosch (born 196 ...
* Art galleries, centres and collections in Ireland * Celtic art


Notes


References

* Henry, Françoise. ''Irish art in the Romanesque period (1020–1170 A.D.)''. London: Methuen, 1970. * Henry, Françoise. ''Irish Art during the Viking Invasions (800–1020 A.D.)''. London: Methuen & Co, 1967 * Moss, Rachel. ''Medieval c. 400 â€“ c. 1600: Art and Architecture of Ireland''. London: Yale University Press, 2014. *"NMI": Wallace, Patrick F., O'Floinn, Raghnall eds. ''Treasures of the National Museum of Ireland: Irish Antiquities'', 2002, Gill & Macmillan, Dublin,


Further reading

* Bruce Arnold (1977). ''Irish Art: A Concise History''. London: Thames & Hudson. * *''Irish Fine Art in the Early Modern Period: New Perspectives on Artistic Practice, 1620–1820'', Eds. Jane Fenlon, Ruth Kenny, Caroline Pegum, Brendan Rooney, 2016, Irish Academic Press


External links


The Irish Arts CouncilNational Gallery of IrelandCentre for the Study of Irish Art
@ the National Gallery of Ireland
The National Irish Visual Arts Librarywww.modernart.ie
Irish Museum of Modern Art. {{Art of Europe Art by country