Artist and art teacher Áine Andrews returns with another series of lectures on Famous Paintings and their Hidden Histories. In each lecture, Áine will focus on a particular painting to recount its history, as well as that of the artist and their story.

The lectures can be attended as a series, but are also designed as standalone talks, which can be attended individually. See series info »

Week 1: Portrait of Hugh Lane

John Singer Sargent, 1906

Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane Dublin

A portrait of Hugh Lane by John Singer hangs today in the in the Dublin City art gallery that bears his name but for many years it had pride of place in Lane’s London home.

Hugh Lane was born in Cork in 1875, but he was never to spend time there again, until, with tragic irony, he died when the Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U boat in 1915 within sight of the Cork coastline.

Lane is perhaps best known as Lady Gregory’s nephew and particularly for an unsigned codicil to his will which led to the controversy regarding Ireland’s right to the important Impressionist paintings previously owned by him. Little however is generally known of the collector’s life in London and his extraordinary successful career as a dealer of old master paintings as well as modern works of art.

1. Tues 28 October
Portrait of Hugh Lane by John Singer Sargent – Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane Dublin

2. Tues 4 November
The Weeping Woman by Pablo Picasso – Tate Gallery London

3. Tues 18 November
Still Life with Cheeses, Almonds and Pretzels by Clara Peeters – The Mauritshuis the Hague

4. Tues 25 November
The Birth of Venus by Botticelli – Uffizi Gallery Florence

5. Tues 2 December
The Taking of Christ by Caravaggio – National Gallery of Ireland Dublin

6. Tues 9 December
Nativity Window by Evie Hone – Manresa – Jesuit Centre of Spirituality Dublin