The North Irish Paintings At Ireland National Gallery

The opportunity for this exceptional exhibition came about as a result of the Ulster Museum's closure for major refurbishment work, presenting a rare opportunity for the National Gallery to display their masterpieces of Irish art.

Raymond Keaveney, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, says that taken alongside the National Gallery's own extensive collection of Irish art, this exercise in inter-museum co-operation provides an opportunity for lovers of Irish to view within the same building possibly the finest collection of Irish painting ever assembled.

"The National Gallery and the Ulster Museum have always had a close and fruitful relationship. This particular initiative represents a special co-operative venture between two distinguished institutions who share a common goal of promoting Irish Heritage", he added.

Treasures from the North includes paintings by major figures of the 18th and 19th centuries, most notably George Barret, Nathaniel Hone and William Ashford. Distinguished 20th century artists include Sir John Lavery, Paul Henry, Jack B. Yeats, Louis le Brocquy, William Scott, and Gerard Dillon.

Among the highlights are Lavery's Under the Cherry Tree (1884), a magnificent early work showing the influence (upon the artist) of French 'plein-air' painting and the Barbizon school; Paul Henry's Dawn, Killary Harbour (c.1921), which is unquestionably one of the finest landscapes produced by an Irish artist in the 20th century and a hauntingly evocative riverside scene in Sligo, The Riverside (1922), by Jack Yeats, dating from his middle period. Also featured are works by more modern artists: William Conor, John Luke, Charles Lamb, Frank McKelvey, Basil Blackshaw, Dermod O'Brien and TP Flanagan.
Tim Cooke, Chief Executive of National Museums Northern Ireland, says: "The Ulster Museum holds some of the finest Irish masterpieces and this exhibition provides an opportunity to show our collection to a wider audience. I think its quality and range will surprise many visitors and hopefully will inspire future interest in our collections and museums."

The project is the result of the collaborative efforts of colleagues in both institutions. The paintings were selected by Dr. Eileen Black and Anne Stewart, Curators of Fine Art in the Ulster Museum, who also wrote the informative and handsome catalogue accompanying the show. They have drawn on the support of their colleagues at the National Gallery of Ireland, in particular, Fionnuala Croke, Head of Exhibitions.
Accompanying the exhibition is an audio guide with voice-over by Sorcha Cusack.

The exhibition Treasures from the North opens to the public in the Millennium Wing until 16th September 2007. -- www.nationalgallery.ie