MARY ROBINSON, ON THE OPENING OF THE IMAGES AND INSIGHTS EXHIBITION
25TH NOVEMBER, 1993, AT THE HUGH LANE MUNICIPAL GALLERY
- Once again, it is my great pleasure to be here at the Hugh Lane Gallery. I have enjoyed my previous visits to the Gallery, where I have had the pleasure of officially opening a number of the Gallery's temporary exhibitions. The temporary exhibition programme of any Gallery, such as here at the Hugh Lane Gallery, is a very important part of the overall Gallery programme. It allows paintings and artworks drawn from all over this country or from abroad to be gathered in one place so that the Gallery's public has an opportunity for viewing artistic developments and trends, that may otherwise be inaccessible to them.
- As well as the temporary exhibition programme, the Gallery's permanent collection is, of course, of paramount importance. The Hugh Lane Gallery houses the second largest collection of artworks in Ireland after the National Gallery and this permanent collection is one of the jewels in the cultural heritage of the country. Celebrating this permanent collection is a magnificent catalogue, "Images and Insights", which highlights some of the masterpieces that are here in Charlemont House. The publication, which includes over one hundred and thirty colour plates, includes an essay on the Gallery's founder, Hugh Lane, and outlines the origins of the collection. Whilst we all know who Hugh Lane was, it is helpful to have him placed within the context of the Gallery and the collection therein and I am delighted to learn that a new Lane Agreement has just been completed between the National Gallery, London, and Dublin, allowing the Dublin public even greater access to the Lane's conditional gift of thirty-nine continental paintings.
- I would like to congratulate ABN-Amro Bank Ireland for their very generous sponsorship of this book. Due to their support of the Gallery we now have an excellent publication on the Irish and international art which is housed in this collection. It further promotes our heritage here in Ireland, and particularly that of our Irish artists.
- When this Gallery first opened on 20th January, 1908, in Clonmell House in Harcourt Street, Hugh Lane had already organised exhibitions of Irish art abroad. In fact, he was one of those most responsible for creating a distinctive school of modern Irish painting. In 1904, he organised the famous exhibition of Irish art at the Guildhall in London, which was enormously successful. Over 80,000 people visited during the two months while it was on show and it received great acclaim. Hugh Lane was indefatigable in his promotion of modern Irish art. In 1901 he chanced upon an exhibition of paintings by Nathaniel Hone and John B. Yeats and he was immediately struck by the quality of their work and felt that a Gallery of contemporary art should be established in Dublin. It was largely due to him and, of course, his supporters and Dublin Corporation that we now have Dublin's Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, which not only continues to promote Irish artists, but also pursues the policy as dictated by the original collection, of being a showcase of both Irish and international art, allowing us, the public, an opportunity, not only to appreciate our own distinctive school of painting, but also international trends drawn from all over the world.
- This is probably one of the reasons that the Hugh Lane collection has such a high reputation internationally and we congratulate all those who are responsible for ensuring it maintains its position by conserving, displaying and increasing its distinctive holding of artworks.
- We look forward to further publications on the Gallery, but concentrating on this first ever colour book on the collection congratulations are due to all those involved. The informative essays on Hugh Lane and the origins of the Collection were written by the Director, Barbara Dawson, and that on Charlemont House and its architectural importance and significance written by Sean O'Reilly. The entries were written by Christina Kennedy, Christa Maria Lerm, Catherine Marshall, Daire O'Connell and Wanda Ryan Smolin. An enormous amount of work has gone into this and I congratulate all involved. I would also like to compliment Dublin Corporation for the wonderful condition in which they maintain the building and it is to their pride that it remains one of the most important architectural features in the city.
- I am delighted to have this opportunity to launch such an excellent publication, highlighting a very important aspect of our cultural heritage and this is made even more enjoyable by seeing the works which are reproduced so beautifully in colour actually in the exhibition here this evening.