Drawings of life in Kerry in the 1880s are gifted to the National Gallery of Ireland

Three works on paper by the English artist, Theresa Rose Marrable, have been gifted to the ESB Centre for the Study for Irish Art at the National Gallery of Ireland.

The works are inspired by life in Kenmare and Killarney in the late 1800s and are available for the public to view on Source - the Gallery’s online platform, which provides access to its collections of archives and ephemera associated with the history of art in Ireland. The gift was made by Dr Colum Kenny, professor emeritus of Dublin City University, who acquired the drawings in England during research for his recently published history of Kenmare.

Theresa Rose Marrable (born c.1862 - 1936) was the daughter of George and Theresa Maria Marrable. She lived for many years at the family home in Onslow Square, London and was the niece of Madeleine Marrable (née Cockburn) who was President of the English Society of Women Artists. She painted portraits and figures in oils, watercolours and pastels and exhibited with the Society of Women Artists between 1903 and 1921. She was elected an Associate of the Society in 1911.

The ESB Centre for the Study of Irish Art houses the National Gallery of Ireland’s Irish art library and archive. It is one of the most important and valuable research collections of its kind. Developed over the course of the Gallery’s 150-year history, the collection reflects the institution’s significant and ongoing role in preserving Ireland’s visual cultural heritage through the acquisition and accumulation of associated documentation.
Comprising a variety of primary and secondary material relating to over 2,500 individual artists and more than 1,000 arts organisations, the collection documents and represents aspects of the life and work of many of the people and organisations that have contributed to the development of Irish art and its history.
Source provides an online space for people to discover, connect and engage with the National Gallery of Ireland’s growing collection of art archives. There are currently over 16,000 records on Source and 6,000 associated digital images. These are available for re-use and can be downloaded for research and educational purposes. See sourcenationalgallery.ie.

 
Donal Maguire, Curator of the ESB Centre for the Study of Irish Art commented.
“We are pleased to announce the acquisition of three works by Theresa Rose Marrable to the ESB Centre for the Study of Irish Art collection, These drawings speak to the broad and diverse traditions of pictorialising life in Ireland in the late nineteenth century.” 

Dr Colum Kenny, professor emeritus of Dublin City University
“I’m delighted to present these three works by Theresa Rose Marrable to the National Gallery of Ireland for future generations to view, research and enjoy.”

Notes to Editor
•    Please accompany pictures with captions and credit lines. 

About the National Gallery of Ireland
The National Gallery of Ireland is one of the country’s most popular visitor attractions housing the nation’s collection of European and Irish art from about 1300 to the present day, and an extensive Library & Archive. Entry to the collection is free for all to enjoy, learn and be inspired. See nationalgallery.ie.