ONLINE MATERIAL INE MAT L ER N I O A L Appreciation: Art Galleries O N L L IA I R NE MATE and Arts Centres in Ireland * Over 3,800 works of art were moved about Art Galleries in the gallery (in most cases, several times) in preparation for the refurbishment project of Ireland 2011–17. * Over 650 works are on display as part of the Dublin new presentation of the collection. Re-opening: The launch 2017 The National Gallery of In June 2017, the National Gallery in Dublin Ireland reopened its historic Dargan and Miltown wings to the public, following an extensive period of The National Gallery of Ireland was established refurbishment and modernisation. The gallery had in 1854 by an Act of Parliament. It is one been closed for almost six years. of Europe’s earliest public art galleries and occupies a series of historic buildings on Merrion The grand scale of the Shaw Room at entry level, Square that were constructed over a period of and the monumental galleries in the Dargan and 150 years. Milltown wings create a renewed sense of space and grandeur, and the reopening presented The Millenium Wing opened in January 2002. an opportunity for the director and curators to This was designed by the London-based practice, reimagine the permanent display of the collection. Benson & Forsyth, who were awarded the These beautifully transformed exhibition spaces commission following an international competition. opened with an entirely new presentation of The Portland stone clad façade of this building the gallery’s celebrated permanent collection of gives directly onto Clare Street, a busy European paintings by Rembrandt, Caravaggio, thoroughfare directly opposite Trinity College, Ruisdael, Vermeer, Gainsborough, Goya, Monet, and contrasts with the reserved elegance of the Gris and Picasso. original entrance on Merrion Square. The gallery’s major collection of Irish art is on Collection the ground floor, with works by Daniel Maclise, Roderic O’Conor, John Lavery, William Orpen, * The gallery houses over 16,300 works of Seán Keating, Gerard Dillon, Evie Hone, Norah art, comprising paintings, works on paper, McGuinness, Jack B. Yeats, Louis le Brocquy and sculpture, frames and objets d’art. William Scott. ART GALLERIES AND ARTS CENTRES IN IRELAND 1 The reopening also saw the launch of a new National Portrait Collection brand across all platforms, with a new website and expansive publications on the new collection An important part of the National Gallery is the display. National Portrait Collection, which shows works of eminent Irishmen (Seamus Heaney, T.K. Whitaker, www.nationalgallery.ie Brian Friel) and Irishwomen (Mary Robinson, Sr (Adapted from the National Gallery of Ireland press Stanislaus Kennedy) who have contributed to release, 12 June 2017) the social, historic, cultural and political life of the country. The Yeats Collection Most recent acquisitions include portraits of Tony Award-winning theatre director, Garry Hynes by Jack Yeats is considered the greatest Irish artist of Vera Klute, a portrait of Graham Norton by Gareth the first half of the 20th century; the National Gallery Reid, commissioned as part of Sky Arts’ Portrait has a large number of works and material relating to Artist of the Year 2016, and a portrait of Henry him. In addition, the collection holds material relating Shefflin by Gerry Davis, commissioned as part of to members of the artist’s family: his father, John the Hennessy Portrait Prize 2016. Butler Yeats; sisters, Elizabeth Corbet Yeats and Susan Mary Yeats; niece, Anne Yeats; and cousin, Ruth Pollexfen. Exhibitions The gallery opened with an exhibition by the Dutch Louis le Brocquy artist Vermeer but it continues to host exhibitions Louis le Brocquy was a towering figure in Irish by national and international artists. art. His work is a testament to his openness www.nationalgallery.ie/visit-us/exhibitions to international modernism and Irish influence, while also being a record of a singular vision. He Refurbishment of the National is perhaps best known for his unique series of compositions, featuring celebrated literary figures Gallery of Ireland and fellow artists. The 2011–17 multimillion-euro refurbishment Among le Brocquy’s works in the collection of the project involved the construction of a state-of- National Gallery of Ireland are: A Family (1951), the-art underground energy centre, housing Image of Bono (2003), and the large tapestry vital services for the entire gallery. Original Triumph of Cúchulainn (2001). 19th-century architectural features and spaces were revealed, and majestic windows now open European Art onto a spacious light-filled courtyard created by Heneghan Peng. This new courtyard dramatically The works of art in the gallery date from the early enhances visitors’ orientation between the historic 13th century through to the mid-20th century, and Dargan and Milltown wings. It is also the site for include an impressive range of masterpieces by a dramatic sculpture, Magnus Modus, by Joseph artists from the major European schools. Walsh, commissioned by the Office of Public Works on behalf of the National Gallery of Ireland The Taking of Christ by Caravaggio today hangs under the Per Cent for Art Scheme. proudly in the National Gallery of Ireland after it was given on permanent loan to the gallery. It was found The period of refurbishment also allowed for in a Jesuit House in Dublin almost two centuries an extensive survey of the gallery’s permanent after it had gone missing in Europe. collection. More than 450 works have undergone 2 APPRECIATING ART: SECTION 3 – ONLINE MATERIAL ONLINE MATERIAL conservation and research. The most spectacular The building of these is Daniel Maclise’s The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife (1854), which has been The 17th-century building was founded in 1684 returned to the elegant surrounds of the Shaw as a hospital or home for retired soldiers, and Room in the Dargan Wing. was used for this purpose for over 250 years. With its formal façade and a large elegant Future plans for the gallery courtyard, it is similar in style to Les Invalides in Paris. The permanent and temporary exhibitions The National Gallery of Ireland continues to work are displayed in a series of interlocking rooms with its Master Development Plan. The Beit Wing, on the long corridors that flank the sides of the at the end of its design life, will be remodelled courtyard. and extended to create a full-height public route through the buildings, new galleries and new Exhibitions public amenities. It will provide public access to education, library and archives facilities at the The museum’s permanent collection of over heart of the institution, as well as a purpose-built 1,650 works is shown in a series of temporary conservation block to assist in the care of the exhibitions. These sometimes feature the work of gallery’s collection. This new wing will add a great individual artists or they may be group exhibitions. deal to the existing gallery spaces. The work is frequently that of leading, well- established international artists, but new work (Adapted from the National Gallery of Ireland press by younger-generation artists is often shown as release, 12 June 2017) well. The range and styles also vary greatly from To watch an RTÉ documentary on the painting and sculpture to installation, photography, refurbishment of the National Gallery, go to video and performance. www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/portrait-of-a- For more information, visit the IMMA website. gallery-30004744/10744104/ or search for RTÉs ‘Portrait of a Gallery’. Dublin City Gallery The Irish Museum of The Hugh Lane Modern Art (IMMA) The Hugh Lane Gallery houses one of Ireland’s foremost collections of modern and contemporary The Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin is the art. The original collection has grown to include beautiful setting for Ireland’s leading national almost 2,000 artworks, ranging from the institution for the collection and presentation of Impressionist masterpieces of Manet, Monet, modern and contemporary art. This building was Renoir and Degas, to works by leading national restored by the Irish government in 1984, and the and international contemporary artists. Irish Museum of Modern Art opened in May 1991. Over those years, IMMA has built up a collection The gallery has a programme of dynamic temporary of over 4,500 works, acquired through purchase, exhibitions, which are often linked to work from the donations and long-term loans, as well as through permanent collection and promote new ways of the commissioning of new works. The museum expressing art, for example through multimedia. has regular exhibitions that present a wide variety An online catalogue is a new feature of the of art, sometimes from its own collection or from gallery’s website. It is hoped that art lovers, the other institutions or private sources. general public and students can enjoy highlights ART GALLERIES AND ARTS CENTRES IN IRELAND 3 from the gallery’s renowned permanent collection Dublin and London over possession of his valuable of modern and contemporary art. collection of pictures. The importance of The Hugh Lane’s cultural Dublin Corporation and its business leaders did position in contemporary Ireland gained wide not agree to Lane’s request for a new gallery for recognition after it acquired all the contents of modern art, and he became highly irritated at this. the artist Francis Bacon’s studio from London. He took his collection of French paintings out of In 2001, it was reconstructed as a permanent Ireland and gave them to London’s National Gallery. exhibit in the gallery. Francis Bacon, who was A codicil to his will born in Ireland but worked all his life in England, produced often quite controversial works. The The National Gallery in London, however, did not studio offers an invaluable insight into the artist’s consider all the paintings good enough to show life, inspirations, unusual techniques and working and left them in the basement.