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William Blake's First Irish Exhibition at National Gallery of Ireland Explores Romantic Fantasy

exhibition · 2026-04-20

From April 16 to July 19, 2026, the National Gallery of Ireland will host "William Blake: The Age of Romantic Fantasy," marking the first showcase of Blake's art in the country. This exhibition features 110 works, with 36 pieces by Blake sourced from Tate Britain, delving into motifs of horror, mythical beings, and idealized history. Alongside Blake, works by his contemporaries such as Francis Danby, JMW Turner, and Henry Fuseli will be displayed. Notable pieces include Danby's "The Deluge," Blake's "The Ghost of a Flea," and "Oberon, Titania and Puck." The exhibition also reflects on societal changes during events like the Seven Years' War and includes a plaster cast of Blake's head from Francis Bacon, organized into six thematic sections across five rooms.

Key facts

  • Exhibition runs April 16 to July 19, 2026 at National Gallery of Ireland
  • First exhibition of William Blake's work in Ireland
  • Features 110 works including 36 by Blake from Tate Britain's collection
  • Includes works by Francis Danby, JMW Turner, George Romney, Henry Fuseli, Samuel Palmer, James Barry
  • Highlights include Danby's The Deluge (1840) and Blake's The Ghost of a Flea (1819-20)
  • Exhibition divided into six sections: Horror and Peril, Fantastical Creatures, Enchantments, The Gothic, Romanticising the Past, The Underworld
  • Blake's work influenced by social/political changes including American Revolutionary War and French Revolution
  • Includes plaster life cast of Blake's head owned by Francis Bacon

Entities

Artists

  • William Blake
  • Francis Danby
  • JMW Turner
  • George Romney
  • Henry Fuseli
  • Samuel Palmer
  • James Barry
  • Francis Bacon
  • WB Yeats
  • Dante Gabriel Rossetti
  • John Varley
  • Nathaniel Dance-Holland
  • James Martin
  • Michelangelo
  • Milton
  • Shakespeare
  • Edmund Burke
  • James Deville
  • King Louis XVI
  • Cain
  • Abel
  • Adam
  • Eve
  • Satan
  • Sin
  • Death
  • Noah

Institutions

  • National Gallery of Ireland
  • Tate Britain
  • Tate Liverpool
  • The Fitzwilliam Museum
  • The Ashmolean Museum
  • Yale Center for British Art
  • The Getty Center
  • Artlyst

Locations

  • Ireland
  • London
  • Primrose Hill
  • Regent's Park
  • United Kingdom
  • Britain
  • America
  • France

Sources