Raclin Murphy Museum of Art / Exhibition > Homecoming: Walter Osborne’s Portraits of Dublin, 1880–1900
Notre Dame, Indiana
raclinmurphymuseum.nd.edu, gilesltd.com
Through December 7, 2025
Long devoted to telling the story of Irish art, the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame is set to mount the first monographic exhibition in 40 years devoted to one of 19th-century Ireland’s foremost artists, Walter Osborne (1859–1903).
Titled “Homecoming: Walter Osborne’s Portraits of Dublin, 1880–1900,” this project draws from public and private collections in Ireland and the U.S. to highlight the capital’s status during Osborne’s life as a vibrant hub of commerce, social interaction, and artistic potential.
After studying art in Dublin and Antwerp, Osborne spent time in Brittany absorbing modern French aesthetics before launching his professional career in England. He returned to his native city to care for his niece and aging parents following the death of his beloved sister Violet in 1893.
Surrounded by a network of family, friends, and colleagues, Osborne painted Dublin’s people, architecture, streets, public spaces, interiors, and gardens, revealing a lively place that — though socially divided due to ongoing debates over Home Rule — was on the brink of physical modernization and political transformation.
The project is accompanied by a 192-page catalogue edited by Raclin Murphy curator Cheryl K. Snay and published by D Giles Limited (London).
