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The wealthy art dealer Hugh Lane had a dream for Dublin. Unfortunately, having perished in the 1915 sinking of the ocean liner 'Lusitania', he never lived to see his goal fully realised in the classical Charlemont House on Parnell Square. It is there that you can now witness what he strived to achieve, a public view of the best of national and international art in Dublin. In fact, Lane established the first known public gallery of modern art in the world.
On one of his many visits to Ireland, his birth place, Lane came across an exhibition of paintings by Nathaniel Hone and John Butler Yeats. It was then that he decided to establish a gallery of modern art in Dublin and in 1904, he organised the first ever exhibition of contemporary Irish art abroad, to great acclaim. The gallery was originally founded on Harcourt Street in 1908 and exhibited donated works from the leading artists of the day as well as a number of major Impressionist masterpieces which were purchased by Lane. Among these were La Musique aux Tuileries by Manet, Sur la Plage by Degas, Les Parapluies by Renoir and La Cheminée by Vuillard.
Since then, the collection has grown to include almost 2000 pieces, hosting many temporary exhibitions to promote contemporary art, and has also expanded its horizon to include multimedia. The Gallery exhibits historical and retrospective collections, with particular emphasis on Irish artists. Having invested in the entire contents of Francis Bacon’s Reece Mews Studio, the Gallery has gained worldwide recognition for providing an unprecedented insight into the artist’s world, working methods, techniques and inspirations.
There are a wide range of activities going on at the Gallery at any one time. Reaching out to the young generations, a programme catering for local schools and community groups provides activities like Kids Club workshops, adult education courses, and Sunday lectures.
For more information visit www.hughlane.ie
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