NATIONAL GALLERY OF IRELAND

An excellent museum to spend half a day at. Built in 1854, the National Gallery opened its doors to the public in January 1864. Its superb collection includes many masterpieces by Irish masters and artists from the great European schools of painting. The gallery has four wings: Beit, Milltown, Dargan and the superb Millennium Wing. The^1st level is devoted almost exclusively to Irish and English painters. During the ^17th and ^18th centuries, English painting had a strong influence on Irish art. Indeed, most Irish painters sold their work in England, and many lived there. George Barret's View of Powerscourt Waterfall, Nathaniel Hone's The Conjuror and James Barry's self-portrait illustrate this period. Room 17 features Francis Danby's imposing The Opening of the Sixth Seal, and Room 18 features Richard Thomas Moynan's Military Manœuvres. From the end of the ^19th century, Irish painting became emancipated and drew on new influences, notably from the French Impressionists. Roderic O'Connor's post-impressionist landscapes in France are particularly noteworthy. Room 21 is entirely dedicated to Jack B. Yeats, whose works are exceptional. Illustrating the horror and devastation of war, Grief (1951) is one of his most famous expressionist canvases. Room 22 features portraits, as well as the largest painting in the collection: The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife by Daniel Maclise.

Next, we recommend you head for the Millennium Wing. Here, you'll be able to witness the continuing evolution of painting in Ireland. The influence of the French Impressionists can be seen in many of the works here, notably those by William Leech, or in the landscapes of Paul Henry. Not to be missed is the room devoted to William Orpen, one of the most renowned artists of this period, who painted The Holy Well, a complex satire of Western Ireland. Then there's the rise of modernism and its influence on Irish art, with works by Mainie Jellett, Norah McGuinness, Mary Swanzy, Jack B. Yeats and others

In the rooms devoted to English art, take time to admire Frances Wheatley's The Dublin Volunteers on College Green (1779) and Philip Reinagle's Mrs Greeve with her Children (1782). Room 9 features a sublime portrait by Gainsborough, The Cottage Girl.

Level 2 features works by the great European masters. At the top of the staircase are paintings by Spanish artists - Greco, Goya, Velázquez... then Italian painting takes pride of place, with masterpieces including Titian's unmissable Ecce Homo, in which Christ is depicted suffering, a tear on his cheek. Not forgetting works by Bellini, Mazzolini, Perugino, Becafumi..

Then it's the turn of French painting: Les Glaneurs by Jules Breton, Monet, paintings by Signac, Poussin, Fragonard... and works by foreign artists who painted in France, such as Picasso.

In the Milltown wing, Flemish and Dutch painting is illustrated by works by Jordaens, Rubens, Rembrandt, Bruegel... In room 40, don't miss A Lady Writing a Letter and Her Maid, a masterpiece by Vermeer.