Though the Irish painter is perhaps best-known for his portraits of society figures, extensive travels across Europe and America in the early 1900s provided – in Lavery’s own words – the ‘happiest days’ of his life, and ample inspiration. Works made during such trips, created using a collapsible easel and portable painting kit, are the focus of this exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland (NGI) in Dublin (7 October–14 January 2024) in collaboration with the National Galleries of Scotland and National Museums Northern Ireland. At the heart of the show, the NGI’s new acquisition A Garden in France (1898) captures the artist’s time in the historic town of Grez-sur-Loing, while works such as Evening, Tangier (1906) speak to Lavery’s love for the Moroccan city. Find out more on the NGI’s website.
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Evening, Tangiers (1906), John Lavery. Courtesy Birmingham Museums Trust
The Bridge at Grès (1901), John Lavery. Photo: © National Museums, NI Ulster Museum Collection
Loch Katrine (1913), John Lavery. Courtesy National Galleries of Scotland