Hieronymus Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights,” (Museo del Prado, Madrid) is one of the most distinctive and instantly recognizable paintings in the world, but probably too rich for most of us to take in on a single viewing. Well, here’s an amazing, very hi-res interactive digitization, (courtesy originally, for me at least, of an… Read More This you have to see, this Garden of Earthly Delights.
Looking at Art | the Art of Looking. We’re leading a rare public edition of our legendary How to Read a Painting tour at the National Gallery of Ireland, on Thursday Evening, 14th April. The tour is a private tour, taking place with ethkind permission of the national gallery. It covers and explains ideas that… Read More “How to Read a Painting” our private evening tour at Nat Gallery Ireland, Thurs Eve, 14th April
I nearly called this post “Before the Roads”. That’s because road widening schemes have been one of the biggest enemies of old Dublin. Literally hundreds, thousands, of old historic houses have been pulled down to allow for the huge road schemes. Of nowhere is that loss more acute, more extensive, or sadder than the very… Read More Tour old Dublin – High Street, Christ Church, Wine Tavern & the Irish House.
“A Year in the Life”: 2015 in pictures – photos from research for our historical and architectural walking tours and of course, from the tours themselves. Thank you to everyone who came on 2015 Dublin Decoded tours and/or who supported us in 2015. Here’s our year, looking around churches, old factories, the former sites of… Read More “The Things We Saw” Dublin Decoded: 2015 pictures.
I received an email today from an academic, currently working with the OPW in Dublin Castle, but whose special area of interest and expertise is Irish cultural nationalism and the United Irishmen. The lecture, details below, is at a slightly awkward time perhaps, but on the other hand, this looks like it might be fascinating… Read More a lecture in Dublin Castle, political and visual culture
John Rocque’s famed map of Dublin (detail above) is a genuine work of genius, and one of the best maps made of any city in 18th century Europe. Today it forms a superb and indispensable resource for anyone interested in Dublin, its streets, buildings its religious, cultural, social or political history. Just one example of… Read More Rocque’s map, that endless treasure trove.
Our next Dublin Decoded public walking tour runs Sunday 8th of November (2015) and will explore the lovely main-street, residential roads, churches and public buildings of Rathmines. Our walk will meet at 11.20 and will start at 11.30am. All are welcome. Advanced tickets are available at a slightly reduced price, here. We hope to… Read More public walking tour, history & architecture of Rathmines! 11.30am Sunday, 8th Nov.
This little display case with its wonderful ship model, was spotted at Dun Laoghaire’s terrific Maritime Museum over the weekend, (the museum is on Haigh Terrace, near Dun Laoghaire’s new public library (pay a visit to both when you can). It put me in mind of a subject close to my heart. Because this isn’t… Read More Tableau & Diorama. (iii)
Heavens’ embroidered cloth: – Medieval buried Treasure. Look at these… They are the last complete set of mass vestments left intact in Northern Europe. And they are extraordinary in their history, their conception, and in quality. They sit now, in their light-controlled, temperature and humidity controlled, bullet-proof glass cases, in Waterford’s wonderful medieval museum. This… Read More Heavens’ embroidered cloth: Medieval buried Treasure.
The castle at Bentheim: an essay of random thoughts on landscape, history and money, modernity and nostalgia in the Dutch Golden Age. Look at this. Don’t by the way try reading this piece on a phone. Wait until you have access to a proper screen. Then look at this. It’s a detail of a work… Read More Landscape, modernity and nostalgia in the Dutch Golden Age.
Arran Q Henderson 