OPW delighted to announce opening of Vicereines of Ireland: Portraits of Forgotten Women, a new exhibition at Dublin Castle

The Office of Public Works (OPW) is delighted to announce the opening of Vicereines of Ireland: Portraits of Forgotten Women, a landmark new exhibition launching at Dublin Castle on 31 May which examines for the first time the workings of the British administration in Ireland from the unique and often overlooked perspective of its women at the top, rather than its men. Curated by Dr Myles Campbell, it offers an opportunity to see artworks by such masters as Thomas Gainsborough, John Singer Sargent and Sir John Lavery, several of which are not normally on public display, in the heart of Dublin throughout the summer months and free of charge.

Speaking ahead of the opening, OPW Chairman Maurice Buckley said:

“This is an important historical and cultural exhibition that chronicles the hitherto overlooked stories of Ireland’s vicereines. It is meticulously researched and I would like to invite everyone to come and enjoy the beautiful original paintings on display here at the State Apartments and to learn more about who these women were and what role they played in Ireland in their time.”

Fabrics shimmer, flowers blossom and pearls glint in the portraits on display in this beautifully curated exhibition, but delving beneath the canvas’ surface, the untold story of the women who were the faces of the British administration in Ireland unfolds. Through their papers and intimate personal objects, this exhibition shines a light on the work they did and reveals their awareness of the flaws and injustices of British rule in Ireland – and, perhaps surprisingly, their determination to fight against them.

As the wives of the country’s viceroys, the vicereines were once the fashionable figureheads of social, cultural and charitable life at Dublin Castle, in the days before Irish independence. Sometimes apathetic but often sympathetic, many of them appreciated that their success depended on their ability to understand the Irish point of view on British rule. While their husbands were almost invariably English, a number of vicereines were Irish by birth – a factor that enabled them to identify with the Irish perspective more readily than the men of the British administration.

Despite the limitations of their unofficial position, women such as Maria, Marchioness of Normanby and Ishbel, Countess of Aberdeen pushed the boundaries to become bold and dynamic agents of change, forging a place of increasing, and occasionally major, influence in Irish life between the late 1660s and the early 1920s. Campaigns to develop hospitals, relieve poverty, promote Irish fashions, and, in some cases, fight what they described as the injustices of British rule in Ireland, are just some of their overlooked initiatives. In this way, the exhibition sheds light not only on a group of overlooked women but also, through the work they did and the records they left behind, on the experiences of other forgotten and marginalised people in Irish history, such as orphans, artisans and the poor.

A beautifully illustrated collection of essays by leading historians accompanies the exhibition, published by Irish Academic Press.

Lenders to the exhibition include the National Gallery of Ireland, the National Trust, the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge and the Royal Collection, London.

ENDS

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Notes to Editors

High-quality images of highlights from the exhibition are available from pressoffice@opw.ie

A short promotional video of the exhibition can be see here:

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Exhibition: Vicereines of Ireland: Portraits of Forgotten Women

Location: The State Apartments, Dublin Castle, Dublin 2

Dates: 31 May – 5 September 2021

Times: Daily, 09:45–17:45 (last admission 17:15)

Website: dublincastle.ie

Admission: Free

The book accompanying the exhibition can be ordered online from Irish Academic Press .