George Bernard Shaw: 150th Anniversary Tribute

Press Release July 2006

National Gallery marks 150th anniversary birthday of playwright George Bernard Shaw

- Birthday celebrations in honour of the playwright in the Gallery's Shaw Room on Wednesday 26th July, from 2pm. All are welcome, admission free -

July 2006 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of playwright, George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) whose bequest to the National Gallery of Ireland in 1950 has made him the institution's most generous financial benefactor. Shaw acknowledged that a significant part of his education came from visits to the National Gallery of Ireland during his childhood. He therefore decided to leave it a third of his posthumous royalties, which escalated with the worldwide success of the musical My Fair Lady. The Shaw Fund was to be the major source for new acquisitions over the next fifty years, from Giovanni di Paolo, to Signac and Pissarro.

As a tribute to its most generous benefactor the Gallery presents a number of special events from July to the end of the year, including an exhibition documenting Shaw's relationship with the Gallery presented in the context of the many portraits of him, his love of music and the impact of the Shaw Fund.

Shaw was a fascinating subject for artists and photographers throughout his life, among them Auguste Rodin, Max Beerbohm, Augustus John and Jacob Epstein. One of the playwright's most successful collaborations was with the Russian sculptor, Prince Paul Troubetskoy (1866-1938), whom Shaw described as 'the most astonishing sculptor of modern times'. Troubetskoy's life-size bronze of Shaw which forms part of the exhibition, remains one of the Gallery's most iconic images of the playwright. Commenting on the statue, Shaw said: "There is nothing available at all comparable to the Troubetzkoy statue, modelled by him from the life when I was still respectable (I am now 88 and externally out of the question)" [letter, 6 July 1944]. The exhibition continues until end December (admission free). An accompanying exhibition brochure (€2) is available from the Gallery Shop.

150th Anniversary Birthday: Wednesday 26th July 2006
To mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of GB Shaw on Wednesday, 26th July, the Gallery will present an afternoon programme of festivities, starting with a special presentation at 2:00pm in the Shaw Room by renowned actor and director, Alan Stanford, followed by afternoon tea and music performed by the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Later in the afternoon there will be an introduction to the Shaw exhibition in Room 6, by curator Adrian Le Harivel. Tours of the Shaw works of art in the collection will continue Monday to Friday, daily at 3pm throughout July. See below for a full programme of festival events.

For further information & images, contact: Valerie Keogh, Press & Communications Office
Email press@ngi.ie

Shaw and the National Gallery
Festival Programme;

JULY - DECEMBER 2006.
Exhibition: "George Bernard Shaw-150th Anniversary Tribute"
Room 6. Admission free.

WEDNESDAY 26TH JULY
'Afternoon Tea with George Bernard Shaw'
To mark the occasion of the playwright's 150th anniversary birthday on Wednesday 26th July, the Gallery will present a special programme;

2.00pm 'Celebrating George Bernard Shaw'- a presentation by renowned actor/director, Alan Stanford (Shaw Room)

3.00pm 'Afternoon Tea' in the Shaw Room accompanied by a performance by the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

4.00pm Introduction to the Anniversary Exhibition, 'Shaw and the National Gallery' by curator, Adrian Le Harivel (Room 6)

Shaw Tours
Tours of the Shaw works of art in the collection will take place throughout July, Monday to Friday daily at 3pm (admission free)

SUNDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER, 3.00PM
As part of this year's Heritage Week events, Leah Benson (Archivist, NGI) will give a talk on 'Shaw and the National Gallery', in the Lecture Theatre on Sunday, 3 September at 3pm (admission free).

THURSDAY 5TH OCTOBER, 6.30PM.
'George Bernard Shaw: Man or Superman' is the title of the 2006 William D. Finlay Lecture/ Story of the Great Masters series which will be presented by Nicholas Grene, Professor of English Literature at Trinity College Dublin, on Thursday 3rd October at 6.30pm in the Gallery's Lecture Theatre, followed by supper in the Wintergarden Restaurant. Tickets cost €35, available from the Gallery Shop (Telephone 01-663 3518 or email bookshop@ngi.ie)

How to Find Us:
National Gallery of Ireland
Merrion Square West & Clare Street, Dublin 2.
Telephone (01) 661 5133 or visit www.nationalgallery.ie
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9.30am-5.30pm; Thursday to 8.30pm; Sunday 12.00pm-5.30pm.