Creating History: Stories of Ireland in Art

Upon leaving the National Gallery in Dublin during Easter week 1916, its registrar James Stephens was struck by ’the rumour of death and war’ that gripped the air. One hundred years on, the National Gallery will evaluate these seismic historical events in its principal contribution to Ireland’s Decade of Centenaries in both a powerful new exhibition and stunning book, Creating History: Stories of Ireland in Art. The National Gallery’s exhibition comprises 54 paintings spanning the 17th century to the 1930s, depicting or inspired by episodes in Irish history from the arrival of St. Patrick to the establishment of the Free State. Jan Wyck, James Wheatley, John Lavery, Sean Keating, William Orpen and Jack B. Yeats are some of the major artists represented. Their masterworks are lavishly reproduced to stunning effect alongside essays from today’s leading art critics. Tom Dunne, Ruth Kenny, Roisin Kennedy and Roy Foster are some of the exemplary contributors featured, delivering fascinating assessments that situate the Easter Rising and Ireland’s claim to independence through the historical significance and artistic value of Ireland’s major artistic works. While the exhibition runs from October 8, 2016 to January 17, 2017, Creating History: Stories of Ireland in Art is set to be the National Gallery’s enduring tribute to the events of 1916, and will constitute a lasting legacy. *** ＂This entire volume carries readers across time through the magnificent medium of art - a truly universal language!＂ --The Celtic Connection, April 2017 ***＂Legends from Ireland’s mystical past, the18th-century national awakening, the famine, the home rule movement, the 1916 Easter rising, the civil war, and the subsequent establishment of the Irish Free State all found expression in a vibrant style of history painting reflective of the nation’s experience. This attractive and illuminating book reveals the range of this engagement... Excellent color illustrations. Recommended.＂ --Choice, Vol. 54, No. 10, June 2017 [Subject: Irish Studies, Irish Art, Irish Art History, Irish History]