Picturing the Irish Free State

Interesting exhibition at the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin looking at Irish art from around the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922.

I thought the show was going to be more about the people and events of 1922 and after but it was more about Irish art of the time and how it helped forge an Irish identity and broke artistic moulds.

It is a period of art I loved so it was fascinating to see how styles developed in another country with a different political background. I loved the Jack Yeats pictures. I always forget how good he was as you don’t seem to see his work in English shows. It also featured a number of female artists I’d not come across before such as Mary Swanzy and Grace Henry.

Runs through 2023


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