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National Gallery of Ireland displays new acquisition by Dutch 17th century master Aelbert Cuyp - purchased with the support of The Heritage Fund - |
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Press Release,
8th February An important Dutch seventeenth-century painting recently acquired by the National Gallery of Ireland with the support of the Heritage Fund was officially unveiled yesterday evening (Tuesday, February 7th 2006) by John O'Donoghue, T.D., Minister at the Department for Arts, Sport and Tourism. The painting, Landscape with a Portrait of a Youth and His Tutor on Horseback, by the Dutch seventeenth-century master, Aelbert Cuyp (1620-1691), was purchased by the National Gallery of Ireland for Euro €1.9m (stg£1m) at Sotheby's in London at their sale of Old Master paintings in December 2005. Landscape with a Portrait of a Youth and His Tutor on Horseback was once owned by the Dukes of Leinster, probably James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster (1722-1773) or his son, William (1749-1804) and most likely hung in Leinster House, Dublin. When this property was sold by Augustus Frederick, 3rd Duke of Leinster to the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) in 1815, the painting moved to Carton House, Co. Kildare. The painting, which was last recorded at Carton in 1909, was subsequently sold privately by the family in the following years, as it reappeared in an American private collection in 1927. Today, almost one hundred years later, the painting is back in Ireland and on view to the public. Raymond Keaveney, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, said: "this acquisition represents an important addition to the Gallery's world-renowned holding of Dutch seventeenth-century paintings, and would not have been possible without the generous contribution of the Heritage Fund." The painting is on view in the Gallery's Milltown Wing. Admission to the permanent collection is free. Note on the Painting: Aelbert
CUYP (1620-1691) Born in Dordrecht in 1620, Aelbert Cuyp is chiefly known for his idyllic river views lit by the soft, golden glow of an Italian sun with cows silhouetted against the sky. The Gallery already has in its collection an example of Cuyp's landscapes, entitled, 'Milking Cows'. Lesser known are the artist's occasional efforts in the art of portraiture. It is likely the artist learned this skill from his father Jacob Cuyp (1594-1652?), whose work mainly consists of bust-length portraits. This newly purchased picture belongs to a small group of 'hunting portraits' by Cuyp painted in the early 1650s, which are quite unique in the European tradition of equestrian portraiture. Titian had set the standards for this genre with his famous Emperor Charles V on Horseback (Museo del Prado, Madrid). Most equestrian portraits by later artists - among them Diego Velázquez, Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck - follow the Italian artist's concept of the noble ruler in armour sitting on a horse lifting his front legs in a levade. As Landscape with a Portrait of a Youth and His Tutor on Horseback shows, Cuyp took and entirely different approach by placing his sitters in a more anecdotal setting, a pause during a hunt. Also the sitter is most likely the son of a privileged Dutch burgher, not a king, prince or duke, the traditional commissioners of portraits on horseback. Note on The Heritage Fund: The Heritage
Fund Act of 2001 benefits five of the principle collecting national
institutions in Ireland under the aegis of the Department of Arts,
Sport and Tourism, namely, the National Archives, National Gallery
of Ireland, National Museum of Ireland, National Library of Ireland
and the Irish Museum of Modern Art. The Heritage Fund is used for
the acquisition of heritage items which are considered outstanding
examples of their type and pre-eminent in their class. Images are
available from the Press Office How to Find
Us: Gallery Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 9.30am-5.30pm; Thursday 9.30am-8.30pm; Sunday 12.00pm-5.30pm Closed: Good Friday & 24-26 December.
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