National Gallery of Ireland : Landscapes from the Collection

Friday, 01 September 2006 12:46

Dublin, Ireland - This exhibition of over 50 watercolors and drawings, examines artist’s depictions of scenic locations in Europe.  Ideal landscapes inspired by Claude Lorrain’s classical views of the Italian Campagna are featured alongside topographical views of Venice and Rome produced for the tourist market.  The selected works, drawn from the National Gallery of Ireland’s collection, reflect changes in taste and developments in travel, and highlight the historical importance of watercolors in forming public perceptions of ‘foreign’ places.

Today the artist’s sketch, finished watercolor or engraving has largely been replaced by the digital photograph as a means of preserving a record of the tourist’s experiences.  A diverse collection of later works show how personal, expressive visions of place replaced literal descriptive views towards the end of the nineteenth century.

Among the scenes represented in this show are ‘A Street Corner in Mainz, Germany’ by Samuel Prout (1738-1852); ‘Pozzuoli near Naples’ by Thomas Miles Richardson (1813-90); ‘Houses on Capri’ by Hercules Brabazon Brabazon (1821-1906), including later works by Roderic O’Conor, William Leech, Walter Osborne and Nathaniel Hone the Younger.  An accompanying illustrated brochure written by Anne Hodge and Niamh MacNally is available from the Gallery Shop.  Exhibition dates 11 September to 10 December, 2006.

The National Gallery of Ireland houses the national collection of Irish art and European master paintings.  Admission to the permanent collection is free.

Visit the National Gallery of Ireland at : www.nationalgallery.ie