George Petrie

George Petrie (1790 – 1866), was an Irish painter, antiquary and archaeologist of the Victorian era.

Related Topics:
1790 - 1866 - Irish - Painter - Antiquary - Archaeologist - Victorian era

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His early years were spent in Dublin, where his father was a portrait painter, and after an abortive trip to England in the company of Francis Danby, he returned to Ireland where he worked mostly producing sketches for engravings for travel books.

Related Topics:
Dublin - England - Francis Danby

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He was later employed in the Antiquities division of the Irish Ordnance Survey, and significantly revitalised the Royal Irish Academy's antiquities committee. He was responsible for their acquisition of many important Irish manuscripts, including an autograph copy of the Annals of the Four Masters, as well as examples of insular metalwork, including the Cross of Cong. His writings on early Irish archaeology and architecture were of great significance, especially his Round Towers of Ireland of 1845, and he is often called "the father of Irish archaeology". His survey of the tombs at Carrowmore still informs study of the site today.

Related Topics:
Ordnance Survey - Royal Irish Academy - Annals of the Four Masters - Cross of Cong - 1845 - Carrowmore

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Another major contribution of Petrie's to Irish culture was the collection of Irish airs and melodies which he recorded. William Stokes' contemporary biography includes detailed accounts of Petrie's working methods in his collecting of traditional music:

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'The song having been given, O'Curry wrote the Irish words, when Petrie's work began. The singer recommenced, stopping at a signal from him at every two or three bars of the melody to permit the writing of the notes, and often repeating the passage until it was correctly taken down . . .'

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As an artist, his favourite medium was watercolour, which due to the prejudices of the age was considered inferior to oil painting. Nonetheless, he can be considered as one of the finest Irish Romantic painters of his era. Some of his best work is in the collections of the National Gallery of Ireland.

Related Topics:
Watercolour - Oil painting - Romantic - National Gallery of Ireland

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