The National Gallery of Ireland's collection of works on paper includes drawings, pastels, watercolour, prints (engravings, etchings, mezzotints and lithographs) and miniatures. The earliest drawings date from the fifteenth century. The collection includes examples of various national schools and stylistic trends up to the mid-twentieth century. Works range from simple pencil sketches, preparatory studies for paintings, finished landscape watercolours, portraits in all media and architectural and topographical drawings.

Selected highlights

• Old master drawings-core collection with works by Italian, French and Dutch masters.
• 18th century mezzotint portrait prints.
• Miniatures-a representative collection of works by Irish, British and continental artists spanning the 17th to 19th centuries.
• 18th and 19th century Irish landscape-an extensive survey collection including works by George Petrie, James Arthur O'Connor, James Malton and Nathaniel Hone the Younger.

20th century Irish art

• An Túr Gloine-a group of sketches and designs derived from the stained glass studios set up in Dublin by Sarah Purser in 1903.
• Mainie Jellett-collection of sketches and designs from her studio.
• Flora Mitchell-collection of early 20th century views of Dublin.

Diageo Print Room

The Diageo Print Room in the National Gallery of Ireland is a study room where prints, drawings and watercolours in the Gallery's collection can be viewed. Works on paper are fragile and easily damaged by exposure to light. As a result this wide ranging collection is kept in storage. Changing displays of works on paper are mounted in the Print Gallery, which has special display cases with low level lighting. Three to four exhibitions are held each year but this still means that only a fraction of over 8,000 works is on display at any time.

Researchers, students and anyone interested in looking at works on paper in the collection are welcome to consult such material in the Print Room.

Access is by appointment only.
The use of pens or ink is not permitted. Bags and coats must be left at the cloakroom.

The Diageo Print Room
Tuesday-Wednesday 10am - 1pm
Thursday - Friday 10am - 1pm and 2.30pm-5.00pm.

Contact
The Curator of Prints and Drawings
National Gallery of Ireland
Merrion Square (West)
Dublin 2

Telephone (01) 663 3535

Email drawings@ngi.ie

Useful publications
Illustrated Summary Catalogue of Drawings, Watercolours and Miniatures, National Gallery of Ireland, 1983

Illustrated Summary Catalogue of Prints and Sculpture, National Gallery of Ireland, 1998.

Treasures to Hold: Irish and English Miniatures 1650-1850 from the National Gallery of Ireland Collection, 2000.

Master European Drawings from the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland, 1983.

Turner in the National Gallery of Ireland, 1988

Snoddy, Theo, Dictionary of Irish Artists 20th Century, 2nd ed., Dublin 2002.

Crookshank and Glin, The Watercolours of Ireland c.1600-1914, London 1994