Take a Closer Look: Art Appreciation courses at the National Gallery of Ireland

Three new in-depth online courses in 2024

The National Gallery of Ireland today announces three brand new online art appreciation courses in 2024. Taking place in winter, spring and autumn, these short 8-week courses offer the perfect opportunity to learn more about well-known artworks and artists, or to discover the new and unexpected.

Covering a wide range of topics, each course will be delivered by art experts, historians, curators and guest speakers. Participating via ZOOM from anywhere in the world, attendees will have the opportunity to engage and ask questions directly in every class. Each session will be available online for two weeks following the class to allow participants to catch up or watch again. 

Beginning in January 2024, art historian Jessica Fahy will deliver the first course Art and the Irish in the Age of Decadence, which explores and examines the relationship between Irish artists and the societal shift they found themselves in at the turn of the twentieth century. In March 2024, Dr Audrey Nicholls will delve into the defining characteristics of Baroque art through the work of some of its European masters including Caravaggio, Rembrandt and Vermeer in European Masters of the Baroque. And finally, beginning in October 2024, A Life Less Ordinary: Evolution of the Everyday sees Dr Sarah Wilson examine how artists across cultures depicted the ‘mundane’ elements of life, and the reaction and social change it often ignited.

Tickets go on sale exclusively to Friends of the National Gallery of Ireland on 20 November 2023. The courses go on sale to the public on 4 December 2023. To sign up or to find out more about the art appreciation courses, please visit www.nationalgalleryofireland.ie.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:
•    Images are available upon request.
•    Joanne Drum, Education Officer at the Gallery, and course facilitators are available for interview.

Winter 2024

Art and the Irish in the Age of Decadence
Delivered by Jessica Fahy
Tuesdays: 18.00 – 19.15
09 January 2024 – 05 March 2024 (excl. 13 February 2024)

About the course: ‘Decadence’ was described in 1893 as “a new and beautiful and interesting disease”, both a beginning and an end, perfectly summing up the feelings of many at the end of the 19th century, particularly in the art scene. Spanning  Dublin to Paris to New York, Mary Swanzy to Oscar Wilde to John B. Yeats, this course will examine the relationship between renowned Irish artists and the exciting, dangerous and sometimes even depraved artistic worlds they found themselves in at the turn of the twentieth century. A time defined by excess, indulgence and a reconstructing of social values, the Age of Decadence had a profound effect on the development of arts and culture, with specific movements including Impressionism, Aestheticism, Art Nouveau and the beginnings of the avant-garde being explored in this course. Journeying through this important period with a specific focus on its impact on Irish art will be Jessica Fahy, an art historian and member of the lecturer and guide panels for the National Gallery of Ireland, the Hugh Lane Gallery and UCD School of Access and Lifelong Learning. Tickets on sale here.

Spring 2024

European Masters of the Baroque
Delivered by Dr Audrey Nicholls
Tuesdays, 18.00 – 19.15
19 March 2024 – 14 May 2024 (excl. 02 April 2024)

About the course: Join Dr Audrey Nicholls to learn more about the defining characteristics of Baroque art as well as the main historical, political, and socio-economic environment of the era. The evolution of art from the classical style of the Renaissance to the dramatic, emotional and exuberant Baroque style took place against a background of counter-reformation and the rise of the wealthy merchant class in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. This exciting – and sometimes shocking – style spread through Europe as tastes evolved. Beginning in Bologna and moving through Rome, Naples, Flanders, Spain, France and the Dutch Republic, this course will focus on the Baroque movement in Europe and its main protagonists, such as Caravaggio, Velazquez, Poussin, Rembrandt and Vermeer. Artworks from the National Gallery of Ireland’s collection will be discussed, as well as key works from collections worldwide.

Autumn 2024

A Life Less Ordinary: Evolution of the Everyday
Delivered by Dr Sarah Wilson
Tuesdays, 18.00 – 19.15
01 October 2024 – 26 November 2024

About the course: This course will explore the depiction of everyday subject matter in art across many cultures. Despite its implied banality, the ‘ordinary’ often had a profound impact on viewers of the time, shocking and outraging and even spurring social change. Sarah Wilson will demonstrate how the simple elevation and celebration of the ordinary can be seen across the history of art, including the development of the Japanese ukiyo-e style in the Edo Period, the realism in the work of artists like Velázquez and Millet and the artistic rebellion of the Ashcan school in New York.

Course Information:

• Tickets cost €150 per course per person
• 20% discount: Friends of the Gallery
• 10% discount: Over 65s/unwaged/students/teachers
• Special offer until 09 January 2024: Further 10% discount when all three courses booked together

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.

Súil níos géire a chaitheamh: cúrsaí léirthuisceana ealaíne i nGailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann
Trí dhianchúrsa nua ar líne in 2024

Inniu, d’fhógair Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann go mbeidh trí chúrsa úrnua ar líne sa léirthuiscint ar an ealaín ar fáil in 2024. Agus iad ar siúl sa gheimhreadh, san earrach agus san fhómhar, an deis iontach a bheidh sna gearrchúrsaí 8 seachtaine sin chun tuilleadh a fhoghlaim faoi shaothair ealaíne aitheanta agus gaoi ealaíontóirí aitheanta, nó chun teacht ar na cinn nua agus cinn nach eol.

Clúdófar réimse leathan ábhar i ngach cúrsa, cuirfidh saineolaithe ealaíne, staraithe, coimeádaithe agus aoichainteoirí na cúrsaí ar fáil. Agus páirt á glacadh ag lucht freastail na ranganna ar ZOOM ó áit ar bith ar fud an domhain, beidh an deis ag an lucht freastail bheith rannpháirteach agus ceisteanna a chur i ngach rang. Beidh gach seisiún ar fáil ar líne go ceann coicíse i ndiaidh an ranga chun deis a thabhairt do na rannpháirtithe teacht suas nó breathnú  arís. 

Ag tosú i mí Eanáir 2024, cuirfidh an staraí ealaíne Jessica Fahy an chéad chúrsa Art and the Irish in the Age of Decadence i láthair, ina ndéantar iniúchadh agus iniúchadh ar an gcaidreamh idir ealaíontóirí Éireannacha agus an t-athrú sochaíoch a bhí acu ag tús an fichiú haois. I mí an Mhárta 2024, déanfaidh an Dr Audrey Nicholls staidéar ar thréithe sainitheacha ealaín Baroque trí shaothar roinnt dá phríomhcharachtair Eorpacha lena n-áirítear Caravaggio, Rembrandt agus Vermeer i European Masters of the Baroque. Agus ar deireadh, ag tosú i mí Dheireadh Fómhair 2024, A Life Less Ordinary: In Evolution of the Everyday, scrúdaíonn an Dr Sarah Wilson conas a léiríonn ealaíontóirí ar fud na gcultúr gnéithe den ‘ghnáthshaol’, agus an t-imoibriú agus an t-athrú sóisialta a adhaint go minic.

Cuirfear ticéid ar díol go heisiach le Cairde Ghailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann an 20 Samhain 2023. Beidh na cúrsaí ar díol leis an bpobal an 4 Nollaig 2023. Chun clárú nó chun tuilleadh eolais a fháil faoi na cúrsaí tuisceana ealaíne, tabhair cuairt ar www.nationalgalleryofireland.ie

CRÍOCH

Nótaí don Eagarthóir:
•    Tá íomhánna ar fáil ach iad a iarraidh.
•    Tá Joanne Drum, Oifigeach Oideachais sa Ghailearaí, agus éascaitheoirí cúrsaí ar fáil le haghaidh agallaimh.

Geimhreadh 2024

Ealaín agus an Ghaeilge in Aois na nDeich mBliana
Arna sheachadadh ag Jessica Fahy
Dé Máirt: 18.00-19.15
09 Eanáir 2024-5 Márta 2024 (seachas an 13 Feabhra 2024)

Maidir leis an gcúrsa: Sa bhliain 1893, tugadh “galar nua álainn spéisiúil” ar ‘an Meath’, mar thús agus mar chríoch, ag cur síos go foirfe ar mhothúcháin a lán daoine ag deireadh an 19ú haois, go háirithe i saol na healaíne. Ó Bhaile Átha Cliath go Páras go Nua-Eabhrac, Mary Swanzy go Oscar Wilde go John B. Yeats, déanfaidh an cúrsa seo scrúdú ar an gcaidreamh idir ealaíontóirí clúiteacha Éireannacha agus na saolta ealaíonta spreagúla, dainséaracha agus uaireanta fiú a fuair siad iad féin ag tús an fichiú haois. Tréimhse ama a bhí sainithe ag farasbarr, míshuaimhneas agus athchruthú luachanna sóisialta, bhí tionchar mór ag Aois an Mheatha ar fhorbairt na n-ealaíon agus an chultúir, le gluaiseachtaí ar leith lena n-áirítear an tImpriseanachas, an tAeistéiticeachas, Art Nouveau agus tús an avant-garde a bheith á n-iniúchadh sa chúrsa seo. Beidh Jessica Fahy, staraí ealaíne agus ball de na painéil léachtóra agus treorach do Ghailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann, Gailearaí Hugh Lane agus Scoil Rochtana agus Foghlaim ar Feadh an tSaoil sa Choláiste Ollscoile, Baile Átha Cliath, ag taisteal tríd an tréimhse thábhachtach seo le béim ar leith ar an tionchar a bheidh aici ar ealaín na hÉireann. 

Earrach 2024

European Masters of the Baroque
Arna theagasc ag an Dr Audrey Nicholls
Dé Máirt, 18.00-19.15
19 Márta 2024-14 Bealtaine 2024 (seachas an 02 Aibreán 2024)

Maidir leis an gcúrsa: Bí i bpáirt leis an Dr Audrey Nicholls chun níos mó a fhoghlaim faoi thréithe sainitheacha ealaín Bharócach chomh maith le príomhthimpeallacht stairiúil, pholaitiúil agus shocheacnamaíoch na ré. Tharla éabhlóid na healaíne ó stíl chlasaiceach na hAthbheochana go dtí stíl dhrámatúil, mhothúchánach agus thréigthe Bharócach i gcoinne cúlra frith-athfhoirmithe agus teacht chun cinn na haicme trádála saibhre san Eoraip sa 17ú agus san 18ú haois. Scaip an stíl spreagúil seo — stíl atá uafásach uaireanta — ar fud na hEorpa de réir mar a tháinig athrú ar an mblas. Ag tosú in Bologna agus ag bogadh tríd an Róimh, Napoli, Flóndras, an Spáinn, an Fhrainc agus Poblacht na hÍsiltíre, díreoidh an cúrsa seo ar ghluaiseacht Baroque san Eoraip agus ar a príomhcharachtair, amhail Caravaggio, Velazquez, Poussin, Rembrandt agus Vermeer. Pléifear saothair ealaíne ó bhailiúchán Ghailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann, chomh maith le príomhshaothair ó bhailiúcháin ar fud an domhain.

Fómhar 2024

A Life Less Ordinary: Evolution of the Everyday
Arna theagasc ag an Dr Sarah Wilson
Dé Máirt, 18.00-19.15
01 Deireadh Fómhair 2024-26 Samhain 2024

Maidir leis an gcúrsa: Déanfar iniúchadh sa chúrsa seo ar an léiriú ar ábhar laethúil na healaíne ar fud go leor cultúr. D’ainneoin é a bheith ina thoirmeasc intuigthe, is minic a bhí tionchar mór ag an ‘gnáth’ ar an lucht féachana ar an am, rud a bhí uafásach agus uafásach agus fiú a spreag an t-athrú sóisialta. Léireoidh Sarah Wilson conas is féidir an t-ardchló simplí agus an ceiliúradh ar an gnáth a fheiceáil ar fud stair na healaíne, lena n-áirítear forbairt stíl ukiyo-e na Seapáine sa Tréimhse Edo, an réalachas i saothar ealaíontóirí cosúil le Velázquez agus Millet agus éirí amach ealaíonta na scoile Ashcan i Nua-Eabhrac.

Eolas faoin gCúrsa:

• Cosnaíonn ticéid EUR 150 in aghaidh an chúrsa in aghaidh an duine
• Lascaine 20 %: Cairde an Ghailearaí
• Lascaine 10 %: Níos mó ná 65s/gan phá/mic léinn/múinteoirí
• Tairiscint speisialta go dtí an 09 Eanáir 2024: Lascaine 10 % breise nuair a chuirtear gach ceann de na trí chúrsa in áirithe le chéile

Maidir le Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann:

Tá Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann ar cheann de na háiteanna is díol spéise do chuairteoirí sa tír ina bhfuil bailiúchán ealaíne na hÉireann agus na hEorpa ó thart ar 1300 go dtí an lá atá inniu ann, agus Leabharlann agus Cartlann fhairsing. Tá iontráil sa bhailiúchán saor in aisce do chách chun taitneamh a bhaint as, foghlaim agus spreagadh a fháil.