146 ART INSTRUCTION. 



ART INSTRUCTION IN IRELAND. 



There are few schools of art m the United Kingdom which can boast a 

 greater antiquity than the Metropohtan School of Art, 

 Metropolitan Dublin. The Royal Dublni Society was (as stated 

 School of Art, elsewhere in this volume) founded in the year 1731 for 

 Dublin. improving " Husbandry, Manufactures, and other use- 



ful Arts and Sciences " ; and we find that on the i8th 

 May, 1746, it decided that, " Since a good spirit shows itself for drawing and 

 designing, which is the groundwork of Painting, and so useful in manufac- 

 tures, it is intended to erect a little academy or school for drawing and 

 painting, from whence some geniuses may arise to the benefit and honour of 

 this kingdom, and it is hoped that gentlemen of taste will encourage and 

 support so useful a design." This modest announcement, expressed in the 

 rather quaint phraseology of the period, marks the commencement of the 

 School of Art. In 1748 we find that the " Society agrees to pay Mr. West, 

 who keeps a drawing school in George's-lane, his usual allowance for 

 teaching the poor boys." In 1763 the Society's Art School was located in 

 the Society's house, Shaw's-court, Mr. West being the master. Collections 

 of casts and water colour drawings appear to have been presented to the 

 School from time to time ; many of these are at present in the School and 

 Museum. In the year 181 5 the Society purchased Leinster House. The 

 present gallery of the School of Art appears to have been originally in- 

 tended for a museum, and was built about the year 1843. The first public 

 distribution of prizes to pupils of the School of Art took place on the 8th 

 December, 1842, under the presidency of his Excellency the Lord Lieu- 

 tenant. On the 30th January, 1845, Mr. West, the then head master of the 

 Art Schools, was superannuated. His services, together with those of his 

 father and grandfather, appear to have extended over a period of ninety 

 years. In 1848 the newly-established Government School of Design at 

 Somerset House, London, presented the Art School with 100 casts of 

 ornament, and from this time forward Vv^e shall find that the School has 

 ceased to exist under the exclusive control of the Royal Dublin Society. 

 It appears, however, that the wish expressed in the resolution of 1746 was 

 in a large measure reahzed, as the records of the Society show a long list 

 of names of artists who, having studied in the School, rose afterwards to 

 eminence. Amongst them we find such men as Ashford, Cuming, and 

 Cregan, all of whom became presidents of the Royal Hibernian Academy, 

 We also find Shea, afterwards president of the Royal Academy ; Comerford, 

 the miniature painter ; James Barry ; Foley and Hogan, sculptors ; Mossop, 

 the medallist, and many more ; indeed it is no exaggeration to state that 

 there is scarcely an Irish painter, sculptor, or architect, from the period of 

 the inception of the School, who did not receive portion, at least, of his art 

 education within its walls. Up to the year 1849 the Society had four 

 schools, or departments, for figure, landscape and ornament, architecture, 



