National Gallery of Ireland begins phased reopening from 29 June 2020

Favourite works from the national collection on display to the public again

Over 100 days after its doors closed earlier this year, the National Gallery of Ireland will begin a phased reopening from Monday 29 June 2020. Visitor and staff safety is paramount to reopening plans, and measures will be in place to ensure an enjoyable and peaceful experience for every visitor.

From 29 June 2020, visitors will be able to once again see iconic works such as Monet’s Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sailboat and Picasso’s Still Life with a Mandolin in Rooms 1-5 of the Millennium Wing which feature European Art, 1850-1950.

Photography exhibition Moment in Time: A Legacy of Photographs | Works from the Bank of America Collection will reopen on 6 July 2020 in Rooms 6-10. The exhibition was set to close in March, but its run has been extended to allow the public to explore an impressive selection of works spanning the history of photography for a little longer.

The Merrion Square entrance of the Gallery will reopen on 13 July 2020, providing an opportunity to visit many of the rooms in the Milltown Wing. Beloved works by artists such as Jack B. Yeats and Mainie Jellett feature in the Gallery’s rooms of Irish art. 

The Gallery aims to reopen all remaining galleries on 20 July 2020. Many visitors have been looking forward to reconnecting with favourite works by Caravaggio, Burton, Vermeer and others over the past few months.

Sean Rainbird, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, commented: “Upon reopening, the Gallery will offer a place of solace, as much as stimulation. It will focus on wellbeing as well as interpretation. The Gallery is there as a channel, a vessel and an originator, to showcase the creativity and achievements of our community. And we will now pull together. Looking forwards, we must revitalise our programmes, this time in response to the constraints and challenges we collectively face.”

Extended exhibitions at the National Gallery of Ireland include Drawn from Nature: Irish Botanical Art, an exhibition which opened just days before the Gallery closure in mid-March, and will now run until the end of August. Featuring six remarkable paintings by one of the most celebrated painters of the Spanish Golden Age, Murillo: The Prodigal Son Restored, will also be extended.

Upcoming programme highlights include Shaw and the Gallery: A Priceless Education, a display exploring the relationship between G.B. Shaw and the Gallery, which opens in late July. In September, etchings, woodcuts and drawings from a prolific career of over 50 years will feature in exhibition George Wallace: Reflections on Life. The highlight of the Gallery’s autumn programming will be Mondrian: a landmark exhibition celebrating Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, the first of the artist’s work to be held in Ireland.

The Gallery’s spring schedule had included Irish Horse, a new exhibition exploring the place of the horse in Irish life and art from the eighteenth century to the present day. Unfortunately the exhibition was cancelled, but a virtual tour set in the Beit Wing of the Gallery is available online. A new display, Reined In: Photographs from Irish Horse will open in the Room 23 from the end of July. This display features a selection of photographs that were due to be included in Irish Horse.

The Gallery Shop reopened on 22 June 2020, offering handmade crafts by Irish designers alongside prints and Gallery merchandise. Art lovers can also shop online.
 

Phased reopening of the National Gallery of Ireland:

Gallery opening hours (from 29 June 2020):
Mon: 11am – 5.30pm | Tues to Sat: 9.45am – 5.30pm | Sun: 11.30am – 5.30pm

Entrance
Until 12 July 2020: entry via Millennium Wing entrance 
From 13 July: entry via Merrion Square entrance 

Visitor information:
No advanced booking required. Sanitising facilities at all entry points and throughout Gallery. Tours and audio guides will not be available but online versions of Gallery initiatives will be made available. Lifts will be available but for single use or disability access only. Cloakrooms will be closed.

National Gallery at Home:
For those who are unable to visit the National Gallery of Ireland upon its reopening, there are many ways to engage with the national collection online. National Gallery at Home includes videos, Works of the Day, Mindfulness and Art, and at-home activities connected to the national collection. Virtual tours of iconic spaces such as the Shaw Room and the Grand Gallery, as well as exhibitions Irish Horse and Murillo: The Prodigal Son Restored, can also be explored from home.

Exhibitions at the National Gallery of Ireland: