The immaculate lawns and wide bricked entryway exude refinery, spelling out the commitment of Ireland’s first National Gallery of Art towards the preservation of artistic expression from the past before they’re snatched up by the greedy winds of time. Since its opening at the peak of the cultural fervor to protect art worldwide in the 1850s, it has amassed a collection of 16,300 pieces of the finest works of art created both on Irish soil and abroad through donations and charitable transfers. Following a major overhaul and reconstruction, the museum has met its eager patrons with open arms since 2017 to introduce them to its brand new appearance merging the memories of its past with modern instrumentation for the future. Cavernous curved ceilings of pure white meet walls of velvet blue to emphasize each and every piece on display. Newly installed skylights and arabesque frames set along corridors grant a natural gleam to the masterpieces, crowned by the occasional halo of gold from above. Let your eyes wander and marvel at the delicate strokes of pigments and tones on thin parchment or cloth, works by the likes of Picasson and Monet accentuated by individual display cases for viewing. In fact, the obtrusive and startling depiction of “The Taking Christ” by Caravaggio is the most visited artwork within the Gallery.

Exhausted and overwhelmed by 700 years of European artistic expression compressed into a single trip, it’s not surprising if you’re looking for somewhere to take a breather. Head out to the open gallery courtyard which itself is an interesting tapestry of bricks, stone, concrete and tile all in one, accentuated in their industrial charm by the sunlight flooding the area. In order to fully immerse yourself in the talent of these masters of the brush and film, even an entire day may not be enough.