Visitors to Cork's Crawford Gallery can step into an iconic Irish portrait over St Patrick's weekend

VISITORS to Cork’s Crawford Art Gallery will be offered the opportunity to step into a portrait this St Patrick’s weekend.

On Saturday, Sunday and Monday of the national celebratory weekend, the gallery will feature carnival-style ‘Portrait Peek-a-Boo’ boards for visitors to enjoy.

The boards are based on two famous paintings from the Crawford collection, the first being ‘Portrait of Dr Robert Emmet’, which dates to around 1765, and the second being ‘Lilac and Laburnum – Portrait of Mabel Arnott’, which was painted by Cork artist Jennie Ashton Hackett around 1898.

The gallery is featuring the portrait boards in conjunction with its All Eyes On Us portrait exhibition, which runs until Sunday, March 24.

It is part of the gallery’s programme of free and family-friendly events over St Patrick’s weekend, including an interactive St Patrick’s Day-themed family trail, and tours in both Irish and English of Great Irish Artists in the Collection.

Events

The gallery’s weekend programme of free events begins at 6pm on Thursday evening, March 14, with an Irish language tour, Turas Gaeilge an Bailiúchán Náisiúnta.

Crawford Art Gallery’s exhibitions will be open during St Patrick’s weekend and include A Matter of Time, in the Upper and Lower Galleries, All Eyes On Us, in the Gibson Galleries, and Recasting Canova, in the Sculpture Gallery.

On Sunday afternoon, a trio of traditional Irish musicians will welcome post-parade visitors to the gallery, and at 2pm a specialised tour of Great Irish Artists in the Collection will highlight some of the best-loved works by Irish artists in the gallery’s collection.

The tour will take approximately 45 minutes and will be repeated at 2pm on Monday, March 18.

Originally built in 1724 as the city’s Customs House, the Crawford Art Gallery was, in 1892, home to Cork’s first public library, before a custom-built library opened on Anglesea Street in 1905.