Light from the West; Irish Art after 1870

Irish Art lies at the heart of the Ulster Museum collections. In the years following 1870, a number of ambitious Irish artists travelled to France and Belgium to study painting. Often termed 'Irish Impressionists', these talented artists painted in the open air and brought a new spirit of naturalism to Irish painting. 

In the early 1900s, Irish artists spent long periods in the West of Ireland, drawn by the wild remoteness of the landscape, and the brilliant purity of Atlantic light. It was there they encountered a traditional way of life that was quickly disappearing. Painters like Jack Yeats, Paul and Grace Henry, William Orpen and Seán Keating grew fascinated by the majestic landscapes of the West, and the hard, resilient lives of its people. Other Irish artists took to more cosmopolitan settings, such as Lavery and his paintings of Morocco and the private world of his London studio. 

Visit this beautiful exhibition for free. No booking necessary.