Robert O’Byrne is a writer specialising in the fine and decorative arts. He blogs at www.theirishaesthete.com
The Irish castle owned by the Dukes of Devonshire has had its fair share of vicissitudes, from sieges to extensive redecorations
Patricia Butler’s account of 300 years of botanical drawings from Ireland is both a history of art and a history of science
Robert O’Byrne reads between the lines of the itemised contents of great Irish houses
Piranesi may have fallen out with his Irish patron but, in modern-day Dublin, artists inspired by his example are looking to mend fences
Sixty years ago the Royal Academy announced the sale of a cartoon by Leonardo da Vinci to fund its activities, but did it make the right decision?
Exhibitions can successfully capture a cultural and social moment, but they are as much a glimpse into the mindset of the curators as they are into the art of that time
Once one of London's most impressive private palaces, the house successfully melded a mix of architectural styles but this wasn't enough to save it from its fate
Modern critics (and conspiracy theorists) have focused on the painter’s decadent side, but his subjects reflect the society of his day
As a young museum director, Homan Potterton transformed the National Gallery of Ireland’s collection – but he would resign suddenly, later gaining success as a writer
Desmond Guinness fought against the odds, and often against public opinion, to save Irish Georgian houses – and the nation will be forever in his debt
