Free exhibition of works by Irish artist and activist Sarah Purser at the National Gallery of Ireland

Remembering the pivotal role played by artist Sarah Purser in the development of modern Irish art, Sarah Purser: Private Worlds opens at the National Gallery of Ireland on 21 October 2023.

The free exhibition celebrates the work of the artist and is supported by ESB, sponsor of the ESB Centre for the Study of Irish Art. 

Sarah Purser was a woman of many firsts: the first woman member elected to the RHA in 1924; a founding member of Friends of the National Collections of Ireland; and amongst the first Irish artists who regularly travelled to Paris to work. She was also a board member of the National Gallery of Ireland. This exhibition explores her connection to Paris, her genre paintings, the artists who inspired her and her friendships.

Born in 1848, Sarah Purser began formal art training at the Metropolitan School of Art. She went on to study at the Académie Julian in Paris from 1878, one of the few art schools in the world that permitted women to study art. She travelled to Paris every year between 1878 and 1889, a formative period in the development of her artistic style. She met and learned from artists such as Degas, Manet, Whistler and Bastien-Lepage. The influence of these artists is apparent throughout the exhibition, from the Impressionism of Degas, the tonal qualities of Whistler, and the intense realism of Bastien-Lepage. 

Sarah Purser: Private Worlds explores the private worlds of her female sitters. The exhibition includes paintings from private and public collections, along with archival documents which illustrate Purser’s friendship with fellow artist Louise Breslau and her connections in Paris. Fourteen of the paintings in the exhibition are by Sarah Purser, alongside a portrait of Sarah Purser by Louise Breslau. 

Sarah Purser was a highly accomplished portraitist. The paintings in the exhibition capture the character of her sitters, without leaning into the sentimentality that was commonly attributed to women’s art. Her interest in philosophy led to pensive, introspective portraits detailing the interior lives of her sitters, where their thoughts occupy an aspect of the painting. 

Highlights of the exhibition include Le Petit Déjeuner, an important portrait of her lifelong friend Louise Breslau. Inspired by the work of Degas in Paris, the piece depicts the sitter at a breakfast table, lost in thought. Another work, Woman with a Fan, takes inspiration from the ‘la toilette’ paintings of male artists, yet reinterprets this through the female gaze. The exhibition also includes two portraits of Kathleen Behan (nee Kearney), one of Sarah Purser’s favourite sitters. The two portraits depict the sitter at two very different stages of her life, with Kathleen being one of the final portraits Purser completed, at the age of 87.

Curator of the exhibition Donal Maguire (former Curator of the ESB Centre for the Study of Irish Art and Keeper of Art and Industry, National Museum of Ireland) commented, “Sarah Purser was a great champion of art in Ireland and a relentless advocate for Modernism. She led numerous influential cultural initiatives, but it was in her genre pictures, scenes of everyday life, that she found a more personal aesthetic. Indulging in her interests in modern European painting, her scenes of domestic life shift from the intimate and the compassionate to the psychological and the enigmatic, giving visual expression to the private lives of her female sitters.”

Bevin Cody of ESB, sponsors of the ESB Centre for the Study of Irish Art, added, “We are delighted that through our sponsorship of the ESB Centre for the Study of Irish Art, we are helping to promote and support awareness of important Irish artists such as Sarah Purser. Sarah Purser was a trailblazer who paved the way for other female Irish artists and we are very proud to be associated with this celebration of her life and work.”

Find out more at www.nationalgallery.ie   

ENDS

Exhibition listing:
Opens: 21 October 2023
Closes: 25 February 2024
Location: Hugh Lane Room
Free admission 
Curator: Donal Maguire (Keeper of Art and Industry, Art and Industrial Division, National Museum of Ireland and former Curator of the ESB Centre for the Study of Irish Art)
Exhibition is supported by ESB, sponsor of the ESB Centre for the Study of Irish Art.

Gallery opening hours:
Monday: 11am – 5.30pm 
Tuesday – Wednesday: 9.15am – 5.30pm 
Thursday: 9.15am – 8.30pm 
Friday – Saturday: 9.15am –5.30pm 
Sunday: 11am – 5.30pm

About the National Gallery of Ireland:
The National Gallery of Ireland is one of the country’s most popular visitor attractions housing the nation’s collection of European and Irish art from about 1300 to the present day, and an extensive Library & Archive. Entry to the collection is free for all to enjoy, learn and be inspired. Tickets are required for some temporary exhibitions. 

Website: nationalgallery.ie   
Instagram: @nationalgalleryofireland
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Taispeántas saor in aisce saothair leis an ealaíontóir agus gníomhaí Éireannach Sarah Purser ag Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann
Osclóidh Sarah Purser: Private Worlds (Domhain Phríobháideacha) ar an 21 Deireadh Fómhair 2023.

Ag cur i gcuimhne ról lárnach an ealaíontóra Sarah Purser i bhforbairt nua-ealaíne na hÉireann, osclófar Sarah Purser: Private Worlds ag Gealaraí Náisiúnta na hÉireann ar an 21 Deireadh Fómhair 2023. Déanann an taispeántas saor in aisce saothar an ealaíontóra a cheiliúradh le tacaíocht ón BSL, urraitheoir Ionad an BSL um Staidéar ar Ealaín na hÉireann.

Ceannródaí suntasach a bhí Sarah Purser: an chéad bhean a toghadh mar chomhalta an ARÉ sa bhliaini 1924; duine de bhunaitheoirí Chairde Bhailiúcháin Náisiúnta na hÉireann; agus i measc na gcéad ealaíontóirí Éireannacha a thaistil go dtí Páras go rialta le haghaidh oibre. Bhí sí ina comhalta boird de Ghailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann freisin. Scrúdaíonn an taispeántas seo an ceangal aici le Páras, na pictiúir sheánra aici, na healaíontóirí a spreag í agus a cuid chairdeas.

Rugadh Sarah Purser sa bhliain 1848 agus chuir sí tús le hoiliúint fhoirmiúil ealaíne ag an Metropolitan School of Art. Chuaigh sí ar aghaidh chun staidéar ag Académie Julian i bPáras ón mbliain 1878, ceann den bheagán scoileanna ealaíne ar domhan a thug deis do mhná staidéar a dhéanamh ar ealaín. Thaistil sí go Páras gach bliain idir na blianta 1878 agus 1889, tréimhse ar mhór-thioncar di i bhforbairt a stíl ealaíne. Bhuail sí agus d’fhoghlaim sí ó ealaíontóirí ar nós Degas, Manet, Whistler agus Bastien-Lepage. Tá tionchar na n-ealaíontóirí seo le feiceáil ar fud an taispeántais, idir Impriseanachas Degas, na cumais toin de chuid Whistler, agus dianréalachas Bastien-Lepage.

Déanann Sarah Purser: Private Worlds iniúchadh ar shaol príobháideach na mban a shuigh dá cuid saothar. Tá pictiúir ó bhailiúcháin phríobháideacha agus phoiblí le feiceáil sa taispeántas, chomh maith le cáipéisí chartlainne a léiríonn cairdeas Purser lena comh-ealaíontóir Louise Breslau agus na naisc a chuir sí le chéile i bPáras. Is le Sarah Purser ceithre ceann déag de na pictiúir sa taispeántas, i dteannta portráid de Sarah Purser le Louise Breslau.

Ba phortráideoir sár-chumasach í Sarah Purser. Gabhann na pictiúir sa taispeántas carachtar a cuid shuiteoirí, gan cuid ar bith den mhaithneachas a cuireadh go coitianta i leith ealaín na mban. Mar thoradh ar an spéis aici san fhealsúnacht, tháinig portráidí féinmhachnamhacha maranacha a ndéanann mionchur síos ar an saol istigh dá cuid suiteoirí, agus áit ar leith ag a gcuid smaointe i ngné amháin den phictiúr.

I measc buaicphointí an taispeántais tá Le Petit Déjeuner, portráid thábhachtach dá cara fadsaoil Louise Breslau. Arna spreagadh ag saothar Degas i bPáras, léiríonn an pictiúr an suiteoir ag bord an bhricfeasta, agus í gafa ina cuid smaointe. Spreag na pictiúir ‘la toilette’ de chuid na n-ealaíontóirí fireanna saothar eile, Woman with a Fan, ach déanann sé á n-athléiriú ó dhearcadh na mban. Áiríonn an taispeántas freisin dhá phortráid de chuid Kathleen Behan (Kearney roimh phósadh di), duine de na suiteoirí ab fhearr le Sarah Purser. Léiríonn an dá phortráid an suiteoir ag dhá chéim ar leith dá saol, agus ba Kathleen ceann de na portráidí deiridh a chríochnaigh Purser agus í in aois 87 mbliain ag an am.

Dar le coimeádaí an taispeántais Donal Maguire (iar-Choimeádaí Ionad an BSL um Staidéar ar Ealaín na hÉireann agus Coimeádaí Ealaíne agus Tionscail, Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann), “Laoch suntasach na healaíne in Éirinn a bhí i Sarah Purser agus thug si tacaíocht gan staonadh don Nua-aoiseachas. Bhí sí i gceannas ar mórán tionscnamh ar mhórthionchar an chultúir, ach ba ina cuid phictiúir seánra, na radharcanna ar saol an lae, a fuair sí aeistéitic níos pearsanta. Ag baint leasa as péintéireacht nua-aoiseach na Eorpach, aistríonn na radharcanna ar shaol an bhaile aici ón taobh pearsanta agus atruach díobh go dtí an taobh síceolach agus enigmatach díobh, ag tabhairt léargas amhairc ar shaolta príobháideacha dá cuid bhanshuiteoirí.”

Dúirt Bevin Cody ó BSL, urraitheoirí Ionad an BSL um Staidéar ar Ealaín na hÉireann, “Cuireann sé an-áthas orainn, tríd an urraíocht againne ar Ionad an BSL um Staidéar ar Ealaín na hÉireann, go bhfuilimid ag cuidiú le feasacht ar ealaíontóirí tábhachtacha Éireannacha mar Sarah Purser a chur chun cinn agus a thacú. Ceannródaí a bhí i Sarah Purser a réitigh an bealach do bhanealaíontóirí eile na Éireann agus bainimid an-bhród as páirt a ghlacadh sa cheiliúradh seo ar a saol agus a saothar.”

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CRÍOCH

Liosta an Taispeántais:
Ar Oscailt: 21 Deireadh Fómhair 2023
Ag Críochnú: 25 Feabhra 2024
Suíomh: Seomra Hugh Lane
Cead isteach saor in aisce
Coimeádaí Donal Maguire (Coimeádaí Ealaíne agus Tionscail, Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann agus iar-Choimeádaí Ionad an BSL um Staidéar ar Ealaín na hÉireann)
An Taispeántas arna thacú ag BSL, urraitheoir Ionad an BSL um Staidéar ar Ealaín na hÉireann.

An Gealaraí ar oscailt ag:
Dé Luain: 11rn – 5.30in
Dé Mháirt – Dé Chéadaoin: 9.15rn – 5.30in
Déardaoin: 9.15rn – 8.30in
Dé hAoine – Dé Sathairn: 9.15rn – 5.30in
Dé Domhnach: 11rn – 5.30in

Maidir le Gealaraí Náisiúnta na hÉireann:
Ceann de na hionaid is mó spéise do chuairteoirí is ea Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann, aít ina bhfuil bailiúchán an náisiúin d’ealaín na hEorpa agus na hÉireann ó thart ar 1300 go dtí an lá inniu, chomh maith leis an Leabharlann agus an Chartlann fhairsing aici. Tá cead isteach sa bhailiúchán saor in aisce le haghaidh taitneamh, foghlaim agus spreagadh a  bhaint as. Bíonn ticéid ag teastáil ó am go cheile le haghaidh roinnt taispeántas sealadach.

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