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| Beatty was an American geologist who got quite rich in the later 1800s, moved to London after the death of his wife, and there continued a life-long passion for collecting; his particular interest was religious texts, primarily the Abrahamic religions, but Asian as well; much of the three floors, near the castle, also concerns the history of paper making, ink and pens, printing, and so forth; alas, the Beatty has a "no fotos!" policy, but I did get this one of a mid-2nd century copy of the Gospels, a page from Luke, oldest known copy |
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| And a page from Mark (of course) |
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| The National Art Gallery is undergoing some significant renovation; the biggies were out, nonetheless; we concentrated on them, knowing little of Irish art; this is Vermeer's Woman Writing a Letter...how big do you want? They also had a selection of Leonardo's drawings, on loan of course |
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| Velasquez' Kitchen Maid at the Dinner at Emmaus; "that's some funny shit they're talking about..." |
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| A younger Peter Breughel Peasant Wedding; there was also an Avercamp winter scene, but I didn't focus it well |
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| What dreams are made of...a lost Caravaggio...The Betrayal Kiss ...not found at a yard sale, but the story is actually instructive about how these things sometimes get lost; and found |
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| Delacroix' Demosthenes Practicing at the Beach |
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| A Monet, something about a river |
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| John Singer Sargent, The Bead Stringers of Venice |
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| We visited the National History Museum in 2009 and were fairly blown away by the collection. It hasn't changed a great deal, although the stuff that keeps being found in the bog and elsewhere is pretty compelling; above are Mesolithic fish traps, found in County Meath, 5300-4730 BC. Other artifacts found were as old as 5500 BC. |
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| Most of Ireland's megalithic stuff is too large, and fragile, to haul into a museum, but they did they get this little burial vault inside; the best museum of the megalithic is at Bru na Boinne, a bit north of Dublin, and we'll be getting there toward the end of this visit; I'd be surprised to learn that Ireland does not have the most megalithic sites, per square mile, of any place in Europe; and maybe by any measure, anywhere |
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| The Lurgan Canoe, 2500 BC, a dugout found in a bog near Galway; it's a meter wide and more than 15 meters long--fifty feet! Obviously used for cruises |
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| Neolithic jadeite ceremonial axes (nearest jadeite is in the the Italian Alps); maybe I can find one in Ireland, if not Carnac; 4000-3800 BC |
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| The more recent artifacts...4,000 years or younger, are typically presented with other items in the bog-hoard in which they were found; here two rings, a dress fastener, a gold bracelet, and an amber necklace; remember, amber comes only from the Baltic |
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| Nine gold beads, fit for a giant...they're about 4 inches in diameter |
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| Nicely carved stone |
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More archaeological-grade gold; and amber
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| Five lunulae--crescent-shaped gold necklaces, many delicately inscribed--among scores on display; we're now into the earliest stage of the Bronze Age, say 2000 BC |
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| From a hoard of torcs, bracelets |
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| Imagine the neck-ache of carrying these babies around; no wonder they to put them in the bog safety-deposit |
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| First prize, at least among the older gold work...an oared vessel complete with seats spanning the hull and 16 oars; there was plenty more to see at this museum, but, you get it; don't miss it if you go to Dublin |
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