Wicklow in Irish Art: Glendalough, Powerscourt and the Garden of Ireland

County Wicklow has been called the Garden of Ireland for long enough that the phrase has gone a bit soft. It is still the right one. Within an hour of Dublin you get granite mountains, a glacial valley with a sixth-century monastery in it, one of the tallest waterfalls in the country, and a coastline of long beaches and sudden headlands. Artists noticed all of it early, partly because it was so close to the city and its patrons.

Glendalough: the valley of the two lakes

Glendalough, from Gleann Dá Loch, grew around a monastery founded by St Kevin in the sixth century. The round tower, the stone churches and the two lakes below the cliffs are still there, and the valley has the particular stillness that makes it a favourite for photographers: dark water, bare rock, and bracken turning copper from September onwards. It is a landscape that works in almost any light, which is why a framed Glendalough print suits a hallway or a quiet room as well as a living space.

Powerscourt and the waterfall

Powerscourt Waterfall, near Enniskerry, drops 121 metres, making it the second highest in Ireland. It sits inside the Powerscourt estate, whose gardens and deer park drew visitors and painters alike. The store carries several views of the area, from a photographic Powerscourt Waterfall framed print to a historic painted view, Powerscourt by George Barret. If you prefer the abstract, Mainie Jellett's treatment of the same subject is also available; see her artist page for the wider story.

The Dargle and the Devil's Glen

Before there were day-trip coaches, the wooded gorge of the Glen of the Dargle was an established stop for travellers who wanted scenery without leaving the Pale. James Arthur O'Connor, one of the first Irish painters to make landscape his main subject, painted Wicklow views, and prints from his work include A View of the Glen of the Dargle as well as his Devil's Glen and Bray Head scenes. His artist page has more on his career. Samuel Frederick Brocas, whose artist page is also worth a look, drew the same stretch of coast, and his View of Bray Head is in the shop.

Bray, Killiney and the coast

Wicklow's northern edge is seaside. Bray grew as a Victorian resort, and The Seafront at Bray by Erskine Nicol captures that holiday mood; it looks good above a fireplace, as the product photo shows. Nearby, Francis S. Walker's Killiney Bay looks across towards Bray Head, and Henry Newton's Sugar Loaf prints turn to the hills inland. For a modern take on the same hills, there is a photographic Sugarloaf Mountain print.

Choosing a Wicklow print

If the print is for a room you want to feel calm, look at Glendalough or the Dargle's green shade. For something with more drama, the waterfall or a Bray Head cliff view will carry a bigger wall. Photographic prints sit well in modern rooms; the older paintings suit traditional ones. Browse the full Irish landscape and seascape prints, the photographic prints, or the whole Irish art prints collection.