Painting
|
Number Twenty Nine contains an interesting and varied collection of prints, oil paintings, watercolours and sketches, from well known, and lesser known artists. In the museum you can see works by Thomas Roberts, Gilbert Stuart, GF Mulvany, Martin Archer Shee and Nathaniel Hone.
|
We also display a number of paintings which are of particular interest to those interested in the history of Dublin city, such as this view by Thomas Snagg, an English actor turned painter who came to Ireland initially to perform in the Smock Alley Theatre. Over the fire place in the back drawing room hangs an unusual view of the Irish revolutionary, Robert Emmet, by the Scottish born painter, James Petrie. The picture is at the centre of a historical mystery.
Tradition has it that this work was painted by James Petrie for Sarah Curran, Robert Emmet's sweetheart, and daughter of the well known Dublin barrister, Jonathan Phillpot Curran. Petrie is said to have produced the portrait from Emmet's death mask, a copy of which he took as Emmet's body lay in Kilmainham Gaol. Emmet had been executed for staging an uprising in Dublin 23rd July 1803.
|
|  | |
Portobello in 1809 by Thomas Snagg
|
 | |
Robert Emmet, by the Scottish born painter, James Petrie
|
|
|
|
On the reverse of the canvass are two significant pieces of documentation. The first is a trade label from Jackson of Number 5 Essex Bridge. |
 | Jackson Label |
The second is a hand written note which reads as follows:
"Susanna Boulton to her beloved sister Mary Wilson July 1 (?) 1805" |
 | "Susanna Boulton to her beloved sister Mary Wilson July 1 (?) 1805" |
Despite the enticing nature of this fragment of information and the fact that the artist's son, the antiquarian George Petrie, had a recollection of a woman he was told was Sarah Curran being shown the portrait in his father's studio in 1804, no concrete information has come to light as to who these women might be- so far!
|
|
