Letter from Dublin

Apollo, Sept, 2003 by Nigel McKinley

The cover of this year's annual Irish Art & Antiques Feature celebrates the re-opening of the Irish National Portrait Collection in the Dargan Wing of The National Gallery of Ireland. Dismantled in the 1970s the collection in the interim has been enhanced by a series of acquisitions and special commissions, often generously supported by Irish Life and Permanent plc. This autumn visitors will have the opportunity to explore the new display which is devoted to over 70 national portraits, painted and sculpted from the 16th century to the present day. This includes the splendid 18th century portraits of Lord Edward (by Hugh Douglas Hamilton) and Lady Pamela Fitzgerald and their daughter (attributed to Mallary) and the romantic portrait of Constance Markievicz by her future husband. More recent is the self portrait by Sean Keating on the cover and Louis Le Brocquy's commissioned portrait of the Irish rock band U2's front man, Bono.

Also on display from 16 September is Heavenly Bodies, an exhibition of figure drawing from the 16th century to the present day. This exhibition of great contrasts is curated by Anne Hodge and displayed in the Print Gallery. Artists include Andrea Mantegna, Jacopo Bassano, Girolamo Muziano (illustrated), Ludovici Carracci, Gabriel Metsu, Watteau, Mengs, Mulready, Degas, Modigliani, Rose Barton, William Orpen, Mainie Jellett and Picasso.

Last of the this autumn's clisplays at the National Gallery, but hot at all least is the major exhibition of Dutch genre painting in the age of Vermeer entitled Love Letters that starts at the National Gallery on 1 October for the test of the year. This exhibition is curated by Peter Sutton, director of the Bruce Museum, Connecticut and travels to his gallery in the new year. The show examines the interest among Dutch painters in depicting scenes involving letters, their writing, dictation, delivery and reception and includes important paintings by Vermeer (see the gallery advertisement), ter Borch (illustrated), de Hooch, Jan Steen and Metsu. The accompanying catalogue is written by the curator with contributions from Jennifer Kilian and Ann Adams, all widely published authorities on Northern Baroque painting.

Also opening on the same day in the evening, quite conveniently, is the commercial highlight of the autumn art and antiques scene in Dublin, The Irish Antique Dealers Fair. This long running fair takes place again this year in the Main Hall at The Royal Dublin Society's premises in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 and continues until Sunday 5 October. Although other antiques fairs take place in Dublin during the year, such as the international fair at these premises in March, this remains the best and the only fair that is exclusively for members of the Irish Antique Dealers Association. The association encompasses dealers from both the north and south and many make the trip down south to exhibit, including notably John Carroll Antiques who bas taken a prominent stand at the fair. L & W Duvallier will be showing a display of Irish silver while Sandyeove Fine Arts always have a selection of items for the dining table suitable as gifts. Fiona O'Reilly's shop is situated in one of Ireland's treasured beauty spots, Sandycove, named after the cove near the rocky point on which the Martello Tower was built, but still in easy reach of Dublin itself. Nearly 60 members will be displaying a wide range of exhibits at the fair, some of which are illustrated here and on the fair advertisement pages that follow. All items should be pre 1940 except for paintings (1950) and jewellery (1960). Descriptions are supplied by the individual dealers. Intellectual stimulation is provided by the lectures that are given throughout the fair by members of the Association. A visit to the opening evening followed by a return the following afternoon is recommended, noting that the fait does hot open until 12 noon.

In the meantime the visitor to Dublin should not the miss the large number of picture galleries, nowadays, in the city, the vast majority of which are not members of the Irish Antique Dealers Association and therefore do not exhibit at the fair--with the notable exception of Jorgensen Fine Art. This gallery has an ever constant series of exhibitions showing both old and new artists' work, including the figurative bronze sculpture of Elizabeth Le Jeune (until 13 September), the landscapes, still lifes and interiors of Robert Wraith (16-27 September), the distinctive spiritual paintings of Patrick Pye (10-25 October) and plein-air landscapes from Kevin McNamara's travels in England, France, Spain and lreland (3-15 November). Galleries are grouped in distinct areas particularly around the roads off Grafton Street and St Stephen's Green and of particular note are The Taylor Galleries, whose forthcoming exhibitions of leading contemporary artists are outlined in their advertisement, Combridge Fine Arts, the Private Collector Gallery, who are planning to show work by Patrick Swift in October and Graham Nuttel in November, and Apollo Gallery who have an award winning website at www.apollogallery.ie. Auctioneers' offices are also in this gallery area of Dublin: You will stumble on the long established offices and salerooms of James Adam on St Stephen's Green, where a sale of important Irish Art is taking place on 24 September and around the corner Whyte's auctioneers whose Irish Art sale is earlier on the 16 September. Sotheby's bave their Dublin office in this same street opposite Jorgensen Fine Art. It is run by Arabella Bishop and consignments are now being accepted for their annual sale next May in London.