by PlanetCrasher

Created on: July 17, 2009   Last Updated: July 20, 2009

If you're an art enthusiast who wishes to see some while visiting the Emerald Isle, you'll definitely want to check out Dublin's National Gallery of Ireland. Not only do they have a great selection of indigenous works from Ireland, but their collections comprise of some of the greatest artists that have graced the world, including Caravaggio, Reni, and Velazquez.

Below are a selection of pieces of art that can be seen and enjoyed and are on permanent display in Dublin:

Kitchen Maid with the Supper of Emmaus Diego Velzquez

Kitchen Maid with the Supper of Emmaus is a depiction of a maid cleaning up after a meal that Jesus Christ supposedly had eaten. Many religious works of art during the contemporary baroque period composed of a mixture of historical figures or stories with modern backgrounds, costumes, settings, etc.

Sts. Cosmas and Damian at Their Brother's Surviving the Stake Fra. Angelico

This painting features two saints of the Catholic Church, Cosmas and Damian, who lived in the 3rd Century. They were both physicians who achieved sainthood due to reports of them healing people without using secular medicinal tools. By paying homage to two men who had achieved the highest honor in the Catholic Church, Sts. Cosmas and Damian at Their Brother's Surviving the Stake is evidence of Angelico's spirituality and devotion to the Catholic Church.

The Taking of Christ Caravaggio

The Taking of Christ reflects on Judas' betrayal of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane for a sum of thirty pieces of silver. The composition also focuses on the contrast between the black, shining armor of the soldiers to the humble submission that Christ offers to his captors. Using strong lighting and crowded composition, Caravaggio captures the dramatic and physical impact of the moment.

The Suicide of Cleopatra Guido Reni

The Suicide of Cleopatra is based on the ancient Egyptian queen who was fated to fall in love with two Rome's most powerful men, first with Julius Caesar and then Marc Antony. Although Cleopatra is technically not a religious figure, Guido Reni uses the background of her legend, which people at that time were familiar with, to illustrate the Church's teachings.

There are some good websites that go into more detail about the National Gallery in Ireland, one of them being planetcrasher.com, a travel guide website.

So if you ever make your way to Dublin, go to the Gallery!

Learn more about this author, PlanetCrasher.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.