On the surface, the singular glazed brick building ringed by a semicircular low wall resembles a school house more so than a thriving art scene abuzz with the latest productions by prominent Irish artists. In fact, the Dublin City Gallery is hosts some of the best interpretive art works to have been produced on Irish soil, breaking frontiers in the perception of modern art. With over 2,000 pieces, the gallery curates the growth of impressionistic art beginning from the tutors all the way down to their apprentices, following generations of Irish born artists.

Works by Degas, Renoir and Manet have set the bar for those that had followed in the footsteps of the legends such as Louis Le Brocquy who have created a legacy of their own. Haunting portraits of monochrome bled through with patches of color define his work, anguish in every stroke representative of the message of social isolation he wanted to bring across. Some of his most notable works such as Southern Window took inspiration from the inks of Manet and it is poignant to see the work of the master and apprentice hung side by side on the same wall. The museum’s collection continues to grow, with some of its most recent installations including ‘Climate shit drawing’, an oxymoronic sketch of planes and destruction in pastel shades as Yinka Shonibare expresses her frustration at current society. The Dublin City Gallery is proof that should you delve deep enough, the most telling messages can be illustrated in rather unorthodox and thought-provoking ways.