The Art of Dublin: A Painter's Guide to the City

Few cities have been painted with as much affection as Dublin. For two hundred years its Georgian squares, its river and quays, and its everyday street life have drawn Ireland's finest artists. Here is a short guide to the art of Dublin — and how to hang a piece of the city on your wall.

The Georgian city recorded

Our clearest picture of old Dublin comes from Samuel Frederick Brocas, whose Select Views of Dublin captured the Custom House, Trinity College and the GPO in exquisite detail in the early 1800s. His The Custom House is a portrait of the city at its Georgian height — a superb print for anyone who loves Dublin's architecture.

Rain-bright streets

Later in the century, Rose Barton painted Dublin in luminous watercolour — wet streets, park afternoons, the particular light on stone. Her scenes of Dublin Castle and the city's daily life are among the most atmospheric images of the capital ever made.

Everyday Dublin

Walter Osborne brought French Impressionism home and turned it on ordinary Dublin — markets, tenement streets, children and old women, painted with quiet compassion. His In St Stephen's Green is the essential Dublin print. We even traced the photograph behind one of his Dublin paintings.

Bringing Dublin home

Whether you grew up in the city, went to college there, or simply love it, a Dublin print is a wonderful way to keep it close. Explore our Irish historical prints for the old city, our Irish photographic prints for its landmarks today, or the full Irish Art Prints collection — all archival quality, framed or unframed, with free worldwide shipping.