Dublin Sketching Club

The Club was founded in October 1874 by painter and illustrator W. Booth Pearsall. Other founder members included the author of Dracula Bram Stoker and engraver John woodhouse. The first President was RHA member Alfred Grey and Alexander Williams also a member of the RHA was the first Secretary. Within a year the membership ranks included Bingham McGuinness, Nathaniel Hone and Jack Yeats. Before the close of the 19th century new members included Walter Osborne, Percy French, and Sarah Purser. Early meetings were held with the idea of painting and drawing in indoors. But the lack decent lighting forced them to meet outdoors on a weekly basis. Artist living outside of Ireland were invited to exhibit at the club's annual exhibitions. One such artist James McNeill Whistler exhibited several works, one of which was probably his most famous picture, “Portrait of my Mother”. The Irish Times gave the whole exhibition and indeed Whistler's pictures the most ruthless disapproval resulting in great controversy. Many artists both members and no-members disagreed vehemently with the space given to Whistler's paintings thus reducing the showing area for members' works.

Exhibitions have been held almost annually since 1876 at various venues in or near Dublin. Locations included Trinity College and the RHA gallery. In 1999 arrangements were made to hold exhibitions for the foreseeable future at the Rathdown County Hall Concourse in the port of Dun Laoghaire. By the millennium, it was realized that a large proportion of the 80 strong membership exhibited paintings and at the AGM the Committee decide to change the name to the Dublin Painting and Sketching Club. Other past well-known artist members include Ernest Hayes, Flora Mitchell, Howard Knee, Leo Earley and Desmond Hickey.