History of art project launched

A RESEARCH project which will produce the "definitive"reference work on the history of Irish art and architecture was launched yesterday.

The Royal Irish Academy's project, costing more than €3 million, will catalogue Irish art from medieval times to the year 2000 and is due for publication in early 2014.

It is expected to "fill a void" and become the standard reference work in Irish art.

Up to now devotees of Irish art have relied primarily on A Dictionary of Irish Artists by Walter Strickland, which was published almost a century ago.

The project is expected to cost €3.27 million, of which €1 million will be provided by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism. Major funding will also be provided by Glen Dimplex entrepreneur Martin Naughton and Carmel Naughton's Naughton Trust.

It is hoped the scheme will enhance the global reputation of Irish visual representation and place it "side by side with the recognition of Irish literature", said academy president Nicholas Canny.

The five volumes of the series will cover painting, sculpture and architecture, as well as medieval art and architecture, and 20th century art forms such as photography and video art.

The experts and academics editing the volumes - which will be published by Yale University Press - are Dr Rachel Moss, Dr Nicola Figgis, Dr Paula Murphy, Prof Hugh Campbell, Peter Murray and Prof Rolf Lober.