The National Gallery of Ireland () houses the national collection of Irish and European art. It is located in the centre of

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 ...

with one entrance on

Merrion Square Merrion Square () is a Georgian architecture, Georgian garden square on the Southside Dublin, southside of Dublin city centre. History The square was laid out in 1762 to a plan by John Smyth and Jonathan Barker for the estate of Richard Fitz ...

, beside

Leinster House Leinster House () is the seat of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Originally, it was the ducal palace of the Duke of Leinster, Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it has been a complex of buildings which houses Oirea ...

, 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 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 ...

painting. The current director is Caroline Campbell.

History

In 1853 an

exhibition An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibiti ...

, 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 MRDS (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 rail ...

. The enthusiasm of the visiting crowds demonstrated a public appreciation 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 A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

John Edward Pigot (1822–1871), son of David Richard Pigot, Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer, 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 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 ...

which was already planned for the facing flank of Leinster House. The building itself was designed by Francis Fowke, based on early plans by Charles Lanyon, 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 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. 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 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 turbu ...

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 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 ...

(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 The Hugh Lane Gallery, and originally the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, is an art museum operated by Dublin City Council and its wholly-owned company, the Hugh Lane Gallery Trust. It is in Charlemont House (built 1763) on Parnell Square, Dub ...

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

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) (; legally the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland) is a major Government of Ireland, Irish Government agency, which manages most of the Irish State's property portfolio, including hundreds of owned and ren ...

. 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 Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

and Jack B. Yeats. The same year the gallery was once again given some of the contents of Russborough House when

Alfred Beit Alfred Beit (15 February 1853 – 16 July 1906) was an Anglo-German gold and diamond magnate in South Africa, and a major donor and profiteer of infrastructure development on the African continent. He also donated much money to university ed ...

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 painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle-class life. He is considered one of the greatest painters of the Dutch ...

and Raeburn. In the 1990s a lost

Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (also Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi da Caravaggio; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), known mononymously as Caravaggio, was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the fina ...

, '' The Taking of Christ'', 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 (il) Guercino (), was an Italian Baroque painter and draftsman from Cento in the Emilia region, who was active in Rome and Bologna. The vigorous n ...

List of directors

* George Mulvany, 1861–1869 * Henry Doyle, 1869–1892 * Walter Armstrong, 1892–1914 *

, 1914–15 * Walter G. Strickland, 1915–16 *

Robert Langton Douglas Robert Langton Douglas (1 March 1864, Lavenham – 14 August 1951, Fiesole) was a British art critic, lecturer, author, and director of the National Gallery of Ireland. He was nominated, thrice, for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1903 Nobel Pri ...

, 1916–1923 * Lucius O'Callaghan, 1923–1927 * Thomas Bodkin, 1927–1935 * George Furlong, 1935–1950 * Thomas McGreevy, 1950–1963 * James White, 1964–1980 * Homan Potterton, 1980–1988 * Raymond Keaveney, 1988–2012 * Sean Rainbird, 2013–2022 * Caroline Campbell 2022–to present

Millennium Wing

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 Portland stone is a limestone geological formation (formally named the Portland Stone Formation) dating to the Tithonian age of the Late Jurassic that is quarried on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. The quarries are cut in beds of whi ...

façade A façade or facade (; ) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loanword from the French language, French (), which means "frontage" or "face". In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important asp ...

and grand atrium. 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 () is an Irish State-owned enterprise, state-owned bus operator providing services in Dublin. By far the largest bus operator in the city, it carried 145 million passengers in 2023. It is a subsidiary of CIÉ, Córas Iompair Éireann ...

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

Pearse Street Pearse 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 commercial property along its le ...

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

Luas Luas (, Irish language, Irish: ; meaning 'speed') is a tram system in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. There are two main lines: the Green Line (Luas), Green Line, which began operating on 30 June 2004, and the Red Line (Luas), Red Line ...

. 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 Domenico di Tommaso Curradi di Doffo Bigordi (2 June 1448 – 11 January 1494), professionally known as Domenico Ghirlandaio (also spelt as Ghirlandajo), was an Italian Renaissance painter born in Florence. Ghirlandaio was part of the so-c ...

, 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 Renaissance painter, a student of Ancient Rome, Roman archeology, and son-in-law of Jacopo Bellini. Like other artists of the time, Mantegna experimented with Perspective (graphical), pe ...

, ''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 ( ; – 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 known for his portraits, both of German ...

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

Titian Tiziano Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), Latinized as Titianus, hence known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian Renaissance painter, the most important artist of Renaissance Venetian painting. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near Belluno. Ti ...

, ''Ecce Homo'', 1558–60 File:Hendrick Avercam 045.jpg,

Hendrick Avercamp Hendrick Avercamp (January 27, 1585 (bapt.) – May 15, 1634 (buried)) was a Dutch painter during the Dutch Golden Age of painting. He was one of the earliest landscape painters of the 17th-century Dutch school, he specialized in painting t ...

, ''Scene on the Ice'', c 1620 File:Rembrandt van Rijn - Interior with Figures (ca.1628).jpg,

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (; ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), mononymously known as Rembrandt was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and Drawing, draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in ...

, ''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 painting, Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque painting, Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens' highly charged comp ...

, ''Christ in the House of Martha and Mary'', 1628 File:Paulus Moreelse - Girl - 1623.jpg, Paulus Moreelse, ''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 Frans Hals the Elder (, ; ; – 26 August 1666) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He lived and worked in Haarlem, a city in which the local authority of the day frowned on religious painting in places of worship but citizens liked to decorate thei ...

, ''Fisher Boy'', c 1630–32 File:Dirck Hals - A Woman Sewing by Candlelight (1633).jpg, Dirck Hals, ''A Woman Sewing by Candlelight'', 1633 File:Sainte Famille - Poussin - National Gallery of Ireland.jpg,

Nicolas Poussin Nicolas Poussin (, , ; June 1594 – 19 November 1665) was a French painter who was a leading painter of the classical French Baroque style, although he spent most of his working life in Rome. Most of his works were on religious and mythologic ...

, ''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 achie ...

, ''Burg Bentheim'', 1653 File:La mulata, by Diego Velázquez.jpg,

Diego Velázquez Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (baptised 6 June 15996 August 1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the Noble court, court of King Philip IV of Spain, Philip IV of Spain and Portugal, and of the Spanish Golden Age. He i ...

, ''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, engraving, engraver, pictorial social satire, satirist, editorial cartoonist and occasional writer on art. His work ranges from Realism (visual arts), realistic p ...

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

Spanish

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

Jusepe de Ribera Jusepe de Ribera (; baptised 17 February 1591 – 3 November 1652) was a Spanish painter and Printmaking, printmaker. Ribera, Francisco de Zurbarán, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, and the singular Diego Velázquez, are regarded as the major artist ...

(1591?–1652) ''St Onuphrius'' late 1620s *

(1599–1660) '' Kitchen Maid with the Supper of Emmaus'', c.1617–18 * Francisco de Zurbarán (1598–1664) ''The Immaculate Conception'' early 1660s *

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo Bartolomé Esteban Murillo ( , ; late December 1617, baptized January 1, 1618April 3, 1682) was a Spanish Baroque painter. Although he is best known for his religious works, Murillo also produced a considerable number of paintings of contempor ...

(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 (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 g ...

(1887–1927) ''Pierrot'' 1921

French

* Jacques Yverni (flourished 1410–38) ''The Annunciation'' c.1435 *

(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 people, French Romanticism, Romantic artist who was regarded as the leader of the French Romantic school.Noon, Patrick, et al., ''Crossing the Channel: ...

(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 the ...

(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 dedic ...

(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 Impressionism painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During his ...

(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, with Georges Seurat, helped develop the artistic technique Pointillism. Biography Paul-Victor-Jules Signac was born in Paris on ...

(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 ...

(1877–1968) ''Stella in a Flowered Hat'' c.1907 * Chaïm Soutine (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, O.P. (; ; born Guido di Pietro; 18 February 1455) was a Dominican friar and Italian Renaissance painter of the Early Renaissance, described by Giorgio Vasari in his ''Lives of the Artists'' as having "a rare and perfect talent" ...

(1417–55) ''Sts Cosmas and Damian and their Brothers surviving the Stake'' c.1440–42 * Zanobi Strozzi (attribute to) (1412–68) ''Assumption of the Virgin with Sts Jerome and Francis'' 1460s *

Filippino Lippi Filippino Lippi (probably 1457 – 18 April 1504) was an Italian Renaissance painter mostly working in Florence, Italy during the later years of the Early Renaissance and first few years of the High Renaissance. He also worked in Rome for a ...

(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 *

(1571–1610) '' The Taking of Christ'' 1602 *

Guido Reni Guido Reni (; 4 November 1575 – 18 August 1642) was an Italian Baroque painter, although his works showed a classical manner, similar to Simon Vouet, Nicolas Poussin, and Philippe de Champaigne. He painted primarily religious works, but al ...

(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 shoe ...

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

(1591–1666) ''Jacob blessing the Sons of Jacob'' c.1620 *

Sassoferrato Sassoferrato is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Ancona in the Marche region of central-eastern Italy. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). History Between Sassoferrato and Arcevia was t ...

(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, Rome, Florence, and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain. Early l ...

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

Carlo Maratta Carlo Maratta or Maratti (18 May 162515 December 1713) was an Italian Baroque painter and Drawing, draughtsman, active principallly in Rome where he was the leading painter in the second half of the 17th century. He was a fresco and canvas painte ...

(1625–1713) ''The Rape of Europa'' c. 1680–1685 *

Francesco Solimena Francesco Solimena (4 October 1657 – 3 April 1747) was a prolific Italian Baroque painter, one of an established family of painters and draughtsmen. Biography Francesco Solimena was born in Canale di Serino in the province of Avellino. H ...

(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 cityscapes or ...

(1697–1768) ''St. Mark's Square'' c.1756 *

Ugolino di Nerio Ugolino di Nerio (1280? – 1349) was an Italian Painting, painter active in his native city of Siena and in Florence between the years 1317 and 1327. He was a follower of Duccio di Buoninsegna, from whose Maestà (Duccio), Maestà some of his ...

(early 14th Century) ''Prophet Isaiah'' *

Paolo Uccello Paolo Uccello ( , ; 1397 – 10 December 1475), born Paolo di Dono, was an Italian Renaissance painter and mathematician from Florence who was notable for his pioneering work on visual Perspective (graphical), perspective in art. In his book ''Liv ...

(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 Georg Pencz (c. 1500 – 11 October 1550) was a German Engraving, engraver, Painting, painter and Printmaking, printmaker. Pencz was probably born in Westheim near Bad Windsheim/Franconia. He travelled to Nuremberg in 1523 and joined Albrecht ...

(active 1500–50) ''Portrait of a Gentleman'' 1549 *

Angelica Kauffman Maria Anna Angelika Kauffmann ( ; 30 October 1741 – 5 November 1807), usually known in English as Angelica Kauffman, was a Swiss people, Swiss Neoclassicism, Neoclassical painter who had a successful career in London and Rome. Remembered prima ...

(1741–1807) ''The Ely Family'' 1771 * Emil Nolde (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 painting, Flemish painter known for numerous copies after his father Pieter Bruegel the Elder's ...

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

(1577–1640) ''St Peter finding the Tribute Money'' 1617–18 *

Jacob Jordaens Jacques (Jacob) Jordaens (19 May 1593 – 18 October 1678Jacques Jordaens
in the Netherlands Institute for Ar ...

(1593–1678) ** ''The Veneration of the Eucharist'' c.1630 ** ''The Supper at Emmaus'' c.1645–65 *

Anthony van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (; ; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Flemish Baroque painting, Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Spanish Netherlands and Italy. The seventh child of ...

(1599–1641) ''A Boy standing on a Terrace'' c.1623–24

Dutch

* Marinus van Reymerswaele (attributed) (c.1490/95–c.1567) ''The Calling of Matthew'' c.1530–40 *

Gerrit van Honthorst Gerard van Honthorst (Dutch: ''Gerrit van Honthorst''; 4 November 1592 – 27 April 1656) was a Dutch Golden Age painter who became known for his depiction of artificially lit scenes, eventually receiving the nickname ''Gherardo delle Notti' ...

(1590–1656) ''A Musical Party'' c.1616–18 *

(and studio) (1606–69) ''La Main Chaude'' c.1628 * Willem Cornelisz Duyster (1599–1635) ''Interior with Soldiers'' 1632 *

Aelbert Cuyp Aelbert Jacobszoon Cuyp or Cuijp (; 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 (1 ...

(1620–91) ''Milking Cows'' 1640s? * Matthias Stomer (1600–after 1650) ''The Arrest of Christ'' c.1641 *

(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 Painting, painter and printmaker of history paintings and portraits. Biography He is a mysterious figure, closely associated with Rembrandt, with very few ...

(1652–80) ''Bust of a Man Wearing a Large-brimmed Hat'' c.1654 * Anthonie de Lorme (1610–73) ''Interior of St Laurenskerk, Rotterdam'' c.1660–65 *

Gabriel Metsu In the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Gabriel ( ) is an archangel with the power to announce God's will to mankind, as the messenger of God. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Quran. Many Chris ...

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

Jan Steen Jan Havickszoon Steen ( – 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. Life ...

(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 painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle-class life. He is considered one of the greatest painters of the Dutch ...

(1632–75) '' Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid'' c.1670 *

Cornelis Troost Cornelis Troost (8 October 1696 – 7 March 1750) was a Dutch 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 gave up his career fo ...

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

'' 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 o ...

1727–88 ** ''A view in Suffolk'' c.1746 ** ''Mrs Christopher Horton (1743–1808) later Duchess of Cumberland'' 1766 ** ''The Cottage Girl'' 1785 *

Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter who specialised in portraits. The art critic John Russell (art critic), John Russell called him one of the major European painters of the 18th century, while Lucy P ...

(1723–92) ** ''Parody of Raphael's 'School of Athens' '' 1751 ** ''The Temple Family'' 1780–82 ** ''

Omai Mai ( 1753–1779), also known as Omai in Europe, was a young Ra'iatean man who became the first Pacific Islander to visit England, and the second to visit Europe, after Ahutoru who was brought to Paris by Bougainville in 1768. Life M ...

'' 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 * David Wilkie (1785–1841) '' Napoleon and Pius VII at Fontainebleau'', 1836 *

John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 15, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian era, Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil ...

(1856–1925) ''The Bead Stringers of Venice'' 1880–82 * Stanley Royle (1888–1961) ''The Goose Girl'' c.1921 *

Francis Wheatley Francis Wheatley may refer to: *Francis Wheatley (painter) Francis Wheatley Royal Academy, RA (174728 June 1801) was an England, English portrait and Landscape art, landscape Painting, painter. Life and work Wheatley was born at Wild Court, Cov ...

(1747–1801) ''The Dublin Volunteers on College Green, 4 November 1779'' 1779–80 *

Andrew Festing Andrew Thomas Festing MBE PPRP (born 30 November 1941) is a British portrait painter, and fellow and former president of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. Life Andrew Festing was born on 30 November 1941, the third son of four boys o ...

(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 (1718–84) ''The Conjurer'', 1775 *

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 ...

(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 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 ...

(1806–1870) ''

The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife ''The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife'' is a large oil painting, oil-on-canvas painting by Daniel Maclise, painted in 1854 and measuring over . It is at the National Gallery of Ireland, in Dublin. Description The painting depicts the 1170 marri ...

'', 1854 * Sarah Purser (1848–1943) ''Le Petit Dejeuner'' 1881 * Roderic O'Conor (1860–1940) ''Le Jeune Bretonne'' c.1895 * Walter Osborne (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 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 ...

(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 Hiberno-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; ang ...

(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 (1916–2012) ''A Family'' 1951 *

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 ...

(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 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 ...

(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 turbu ...

(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 Brother ...

(1828–82) ''Jane Burden as Queen Guinevere'' 1858 * Frederick William Burton (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 in oils and watercolor, and printmaker, active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom. He eschewed sentimentality and moral a ...

(1834–1903) ''Nocturne in Grey and Gold – Piccadilly, 1881–83'' *

Edgar Degas Edgar Degas (, ; born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, ; 19 July 183427 September 1917) was a French Impressionist artist famous for his pastel drawings and oil paintings. Degas also produced bronze sculptures, prints, and drawings. Degas is e ...

(1834–1917) ''Two Ballet Dancers in a Dressing Room'' * Pablo Ruiz Picasso (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 * 2020 Aidan Crotty * 2021 Salvatore of Lucan * 2022 David Booth * 2023 Ruaidhrí Condon * 2024 TBC When it was the Hennessy Portrait Prize, the prize winners were: * 2014 Nick Miller * 2015 Vera Klute * 2016 Gerry Davis * 2017 Jack Hickey

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 The Irish Statute Book, also known as the electronic Irish Statute Book (eISB), is a database produced by the Office of the Attorney General of Ireland. It contains copies of Acts of the Oireachtas and statutory instruments.

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 ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

''. 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 websiteThe Millennium Wing on Archiseek.comReports of the Director of the National Gallery of Ireland 1883–1920
from EPPI (Enhanced British Parliamentary Papers on Ireland) {{Authority control Art museums and galleries 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 (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

Department of Culture, Communications and Sport