Masterpiece not part of travelling exhibition

A COMMENT by Ronald de Leeuw, director of the Rijksmuseum, reported in The Guardian on December 22, sparked a flurry of interest in the Irish press.

De Leeuw, to everyone’s delight, revealed that a loan exhibition from the Rijksmuseum would be shown in Cork in 2005.

There has been speculation that Rembrandt’s Nightwatch might be included.

The promised exhibition is from the prints and drawings section of the Rijksmuseum, and while it will include works by Rembrandt, sadly the prospect of his Nightwatch ever travelling outside the Netherlands is remote.

Closer to home, our programme for 2004 includes an exhibition of topographical watercolours by Irish artist George Petrie, organised with the generous assistance of the National Gallery of Ireland. Petrie’s landscapes and views of antiquarian remains are a fascinating record of 19th century Ireland.

I would love to hear from readers who know of works by this artist in private collections, as we hope to make the exhibition as representative as possible.

Peter Murray,

Curator,

Crawford Municipal Art Gallery,

Emmet Place,

Cork.

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