Press release 17/08/2017
Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting: Inspiration and Rivalry
Catch it before it closes on 17 September 2017. Book online here
There are just four weeks left to see the extraordinary exhibition Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting: Inspiration and Rivalry at the National Gallery of Ireland, before it closes on 17 September.
Since it opened on 17 June, the Vermeer exhibition has attracted over 65,000 visitors.
Due to the high demand to see this show, visitors are strongly advised to book their tickets in advance online to avoid disappointment, www.nationalgallery.ie. Monday to Friday time slots are booking out very quickly in advance, and weekends are likely to be fully booked in the run up to the last day, on Sunday17 September.
Celebrating the work of Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675), this revelatory exhibition presents new insights into the relationships the artist maintained with other great painters of the Dutch Golden Age. As many as ten masterpieces by Vermeer are included – representing nearly a third of the artist’s surviving works – alongside some superb examples by his contemporaries, Gerrit Dou, Gerard ter Borch and Frans van Mieris.
The next and final venue for the exhibition is the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, where it will be shown from 22 October to 21 January.
Sean Rainbird, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland says:
“This exhibition has been hugely positive for the Gallery and our many visitors. We are delighted that so many people in Ireland and abroad have come to see the exhibition and participate in the supporting education events. Our thanks to Zurich, exhibition partner, for their support and to our colleagues in the Musée du Louvre and National Gallery of Art, Washington.”
There are many more exhibitions to look forward to in this landmark year for the Gallery. The popularity of shows organised around Caravaggio and Vermeer will be followed in the autumn by an insightful exhibition celebrating the life and work of the Irish born artist, Frederic William Burton (1816-1900). Burton’s most accomplished and best-loved watercolour, 'The Meeting on the Turret Stairs', will be among over 70 works by Burton included in the show. The exhibition will also feature works by the Pre Raphaelite Brotherhood that influenced his taste and art, such as John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edward Burne-Jone, Ford Maddox Brown and William Mulready. It will also look at his period in Germany and his tenure as director of the National Gallery, London. Frederic William Burton: For the Love of Art, opens 25 October. Advance ticket booking from September, www.nationalgallery.ie
Also on view this autumn is a display of prints and drawings by the German artist, Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945), selected from the rich collection of the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart (6 September-10 December). In November, the Gallery marks the 100th anniversary of William Orpen’s service as a war artist with the British army in small display, Aftermath: The War Landscapes of William Orpen (11 November-11 February), featuring works from the Imperial War Museum.
Notes
1. The Vermeer exhibition coincided with the reopening in June of the refurbished historic wings of the National Gallery of Ireland. The Gallery has since welcomed over 275,000 visitors through its doors, an increase by over 100% on figures for the same period in 2016.
2. In the 10 days following the reopening, the Gallery’s Facebook posts reached over 1 million people, with 1,966 new followers on Facebook. On Instagram, the Gallery had a reach of 78,000 in the ten day period.
3. The accompanying public education programme continues until 17 September, with a contemporary exhibition in response to the current Vermeer show, featuring original work by three practitioners Brian Fay, Dragana Jurisic, and Maser (2-17 Sept. Free admission); pop-up-talks (2, 8 & 13 Sept); a scholarly conference with a panel of international speakers (9 Sept), and on 10 September there will be a full day of free public activities devoted to exploring life and art in the Dutch Golden Age. For further details, see www.nationalgallery.ie
Online reaction
Caught the fantastic #VermeerDublin exhibition today – highly recommend it. Gallery’s renovation looking fantastic too. Diarmuid, Twitter
Fab to see favourite paintings, old and new, in the National Gallery of Ireland’s gorgeously refurbished glory today! And the Vermeer exhibition: swoon! Caroline, Twitter.
Brilliantly argued and displayed account of 17th century Dutch genre painting – very busy but still beautiful the National Gallery of Ireland. Celia, Twitter
10 Vermeers at the National Gallery of Ireland’s exhibition. Transient moments, benign voyeurism, interiors. A feast for any eyes. Mark, Twitter
The Vermeer exhibition in the National Gallery is well worth a visit…or even a return visit! Ursula, Twitter
Upcoming Exhibitions at the National Gallery of Ireland
Käthe Kollwitz: Life, Death and War (10 September – 10 December)
Frederic William Burton: For the Love of Art (25 October – 14 January)
Aftermath: The War Landscapes of William Orpen (11 November – 11 February)
Touring Exhibitions
Margaret Clarke: An Independent Spirit
Venue: F.E. McWilliam Museum, Banbridge (15 September – 18 November)
Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting: Inspiration and Rivalry
Venue: National Gallery of Art, Washington (22 October -21 January)