Making History: Spotlighting Art And Design From The Emerald Isle

By Carrie McGath in Arts & Entertainment on May 21, 2015 2:35PM

The Art Institute of Chicago's exhibition, Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design, 1690-1840 is quite a phenomenon, containing ravishing objects, furniture, textiles and paintings. It can also boast being the first exhibition of its kind on this side of the pond to deftly spotlight the profound role this earlier era of Ireland played in the worldwide cultural landscape.

The galleries are welcoming and homey, setting the tone for the domesticity seated in so many of the works on view. The show opens with the colossal antlers of an Irish Elk, a sign that denoted "welcome" in many Irish homes of the time. This grand entrance sets the tone for a captivating and edifying exhibition and it doesn't disappoint.

Between the excellent curation by the Chair of European Decorative Arts, Christopher Monkhouse, and the works themselves, it is a show that compels visitors to linger and indulge in the history and stories told by a wide range of objects—everything from swords to harps to portraits and even tea services. There is a great uniqueness to the show's warmth and inviting nature; the galleries function as a kind of living space displaying the wares of inhabitants of the Emerald Isle.

Highlights abound in this exhibition, including a small crucifix designed for Catholics to carry secretly to escape possible persecution, tiny portraits in the vitrines that have the sentimental loveliness of a locket and other pieces such as John Egan's Portable Harp, James Christopher Timbrell's painting, Carolan the Irish Band and Samuel Walker's Two-Handled Cup and Cover. The breadth of objects in the show makes it one that will interest just about everyone, while it captivates and guides visitors through the corridors of Ireland's rich cultural history.

Through June 7 at The Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave.