A rare visual record of life in the west of Ireland in the first half of the 19th century is currently on exhibition at the National Gallery in Dublin. William Evans of Eton (1798-1877), drawing master at England’s most prestigious public school, travelled to Ireland in 1835 and 1838, touring Galway and Mayo and recording images of the the landscape and its inhabitants.
Few images of pre-Famine Ireland exist. In 2008 the National Gallery of Ireland acquired a collection of 41 watercolours of west of Ireland scenes by the English topographical artist. The work is currently on display at the National Gallery in an exhibition entitled From Galway to Leenane: Perceptions of Landscape. Evans’s traditional watercolours are shown alongside new work by Irish artist Wendy Judge who explores the ida of virtual travel. The show continues until September 29. (Click on any image to enlarge it).
William Evans of Eton (1798-1877)
Spanish Arch, the Claddagh in the distance, Galway, 1838
Photo © National Gallery of Ireland
William Evans of Eton (1798-1877)
Cor, Maam Valley, Connemara, 1838
Photo © National Gallery of Ireland
William Evans of Eton (1798-1877)
Killary, near the mouth of the Bundoracha River, County Mayo, 1838
Photo © National Gallery of Ireland