This exhibition introduces audiences to the work of early modern painter-etchers of Irish birth or heritage. These artists made a significant contribution to the so-called Etching Revival of the 1880s, earning the recognition of their peers and contemporary art critics. Key works by Robert Goff, Edward Millington Synge, Percy Gethin, Roderic O’Conor, William Booth Pearsall, Estella Solomons, and Stella Steyn are included. The etchings of Irish artists are shown alongside examples by Whistler, Séguin and other Etching Revival printmakers who had a direct influence on their work.

An illustrated catalogue presents new research on this all-but-forgotten aspect of Irish art, addressing the motivations and challenges faced by Irish printmakers within the context of the Etching Revival and contemporary Irish art.

The exhibition features material from the National Gallery of Ireland, The Hugh Lane Gallery, the National Library of Ireland, Trinity College Dublin and the Crawford Art Gallery, Cork as well as prints from the British Museum and the University of Glasgow: The Hunterian.