Charlemont House

Charlemont House
Front of Charlemont House
Location within Central Dublin
General information
TypePrivate house
Architectural styleGeorgian
LocationDublin, Ireland
Coordinates53°21′15″N 6°15′53″W / 53.35421°N 6.26478°W / 53.35421; -6.26478
Current tenantsHugh Lane Gallery
Construction started1763
Completed1778
Renovated1931
LandlordDublin City Council
Technical details
MaterialGranite, Portland stone and ruled cement
Floor count3 over basement
Design and construction
ArchitectsSir William Chambers and later Horace Tennyson O'Rourke (1931-33)
DeveloperJames Caulfeild, 1st Earl of Charlemont
Other designersSimon Vierpyl (master mason)

Charlemont House is a mansion in Dublin, Ireland. The house was built in 1763[1] and designed by William Chambers[2] for James Caulfeild, 1st Earl of Charlemont.[3][4] It is a stone fronted mansion[5] on Dublin's Parnell Square. It was purchased by the government in 1870[6] and since 1933 it has housed the Hugh Lane Dublin City Gallery.[7]

History

The house was designed by William Chambers in 1763 for James Caulfeild, 1st Earl of Charlemont. It is likely Chambers never saw the finished design and it was executed with the assistance of Simon Vierpyl and others in his absence. Many of the other top craftsmen and designers of the day were also engaged including Giovanni Battista Cipriani to create chiaroscuro for the library while James Gandon also designed the Rockingham library in 1789.[8]

In art

The house features in James Malton's views of Dublin where it is illustrated partially obscured from the corner of Rutland Square.

In fiction

The house is one of the locations featured in the book The Coroner's Daughter by Andrew Hughes, which was selected as the Dublin UNESCO City of Literature One City One Book for 2023.[9]

Art collection

The Earl kept an extensive art collection at the house, among them included Judas Repentant, Returning the Pieces of Silver by Rembrandt, The Lady's Last Stake and The Gate of Calais by William Hogarth as well as other lesser known paintings by Annibale Carracci, Tintoretto, Ambrogio Bergognone and Anthony van Dyck.

References

  1. ^ "1763 – Charlemont House, Parnell Square, Dublin". Archiseek - Irish Architecture. 11 June 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Charlemont House, Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane free admission". www.hughlane.ie. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  3. ^ "charlemont house |". Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  4. ^ "James Caulfeild Earl of Charlemont - Irish Biography". www.libraryireland.com. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  5. ^ Casey, Christine (2005). Dublin: The City Within the Grand and Royal Canals and the Circular Road with the Phoenix Park. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300109238.
  6. ^ Chambers, William; Art, Courtauld Institute of (1996). Sir William Chambers: Architect to George III. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300069402.
  7. ^ "Dublin City Gallery / The Hugh Lane Gallery". Aran Sweaters Direct. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  8. ^ "Dictionary of Irish Architects". www.dia.ie. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  9. ^ Halpin, Hayley (12 October 2022). "A mystery novel set during 1816 chosen as the 2023 One Dublin One Book". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 15 October 2022.