National Gallery of Ireland

The idea of a National Gallery of Ireland was conceived in 1854 and based on plans by Charles Lanyon was designed by Francis Fowke, finally opening its doors to an eager public a decade later in 1864 located in the centre of Dublin. For a country as small as Ireland, the collections is not only of superb quality but is extensive in its range and quantity. The collections contains over 14,000 works of art comprising approximately 2,500 oil paintings, 5,000 drawings, 5,000 prints and some sculpture, furniture and other works of art. Most of the major European countries are represented and art spanning the 14th Century to the present day is housed. The Gallery’s Irish collection holds works by Jack Yeats, William Orpen, Roderic O’Conor, Walter Osborne, William John Leech, Louis Le Brocquy, Nathaniel Hone, John Lavery, Mainie Jellet and Gerard Dillon. There are also Italian Baroque paintings, Dutch Masters, paintings of the French School and works of outstanding British artists such as Turner, Gainsborough, Hogarth and Reynolds.