Much more than a place for royalty, politicians and dignitaries, Hillsborough Castle is also a gardeners’ and art lovers’ paradise.
Its State Drawing Room, in which the Anglo-Irish Agreement was signed in 1985, boasts original art work by some of the most significant Irish artists of the 20th century, including Jack B Yeats, Margaret Clarke, William Conor, Paul Henry, Colin Middleton, John Luke, John Lavery, Percy French, Basil Blackshaw and Gerard Dillon.
This spring marked an exciting transformation and re-hanging of the room, with 33 new works of art on display, including the castle’s largest ever loan from the Republic.
“I’ve researched, proposed and physically hung every piece in this room. I love putting in the hooks and making sure they are straight,” David Orr, Castle and Collections Manager at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, tells me when I met him for a personal tour.
This elegant space, with its wonderful view of the gardens, was originally designed as a library, holding many thousands of books, which were sold at auction in 1907.
In contrast to the other more formal rooms in Hillsborough, adorned with historic portraits, what struck me as soon as I walked into the drawing room was how bright, airy and colourful it was.
Tastefully decorated with a homely elegant feel, with its grand piano, fireplace, sofas and photographs, its walls are covered with a mass of contemporary paintings of all shapes and sizes.
Its art expansion was made possible by collaborations with a variety of lenders, including Crawford Art Gallery in Cork who have loaned 14 artworks.
“The Drawing Room at Hillsborough Castle is a haven of Irish art, a celebration of our magnificent land and seascapes right through to incredible royal portraits by Irish artists,” says David.
“One of the key things I wanted to try and establish was a relationship with an art gallery, or a museum, in the Republic of Ireland and the Crawford Art Gallery were very kind and willing to come forward.
“It’s an exciting opportunity and we hope to be able to develop more relationships in the future.”
In its biggest ever re-hang, David’s vision for the room was to make it a “celebration of Irish art”, for all to enjoy.
“History happens here, as was the case last year when we had the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement when peace and reconciliation was celebrated. There is a striking balance within this room of Irish art and Irish landscapes with something for everyone”.
Crawford Art Gallery’s loan includes pieces from Paul Henry, Colin Middleton, John Luke, William Conor, Norah McGuinness, Margaret Clarke and Jack B. Yeats, as well as the surrealist work of Nano Reid.
It’s Yeats’s 1922 painting, Off the Donegal Coast, that David was most excited to receive. Brother of playwright William B. Yeats, he was the first Irish artist to sell a work for over £1 million.
“He’s a phenomenal artist of his day. His painting of three men in a fishing boat in Donegal pulling in the catch captures such lovely movement with his energetic brushstrokes depicting the tension of the rough stormy sea,” observes David, who is clearly passionate about his job.
As well as achieving a cross-border and gender balance, David also wanted to collate a broad variety of styles and time periods.
“What we aimed to do was create a who’s who of Irish art with a broad spectrum of Irish artists from the past 100 years, historical right up to the contemporary, with JB Vallely, Colin Davidson and Emma Spence,” he explains.
The new re-hang also includes local artist Emma Spence’s new painting Late Summer on Yew Tree Walk, which depicts a scene from Hillsborough Castle’s gardens.
As an artist living and working in Hillsborough, Emma captured the seasonal changes within the castle’s gardens.
“I was inspired by the colours from the wildflowers which line Yew Tree Walk, and really guide the eye up to the spectacle of the castle, which just peeks out in the distance of my piece,” says Emma.
“Using mixed media, and almost giving the piece that 3D effect, helps transport the viewer into the painting, it almost has the view of nestling in the flower beds and looking up that iconic walk towards the castle.”
Honoured to be “in such esteemed company”, Emma praises the positioning of her piece within drawing room.
“What I find really special about the hang is the connections between each artist, between their works, and those important and inimitable connections to Hillsborough Castle, too. You can look at my piece, Late Summer on Yew Tree Walk, and then immediately walk out onto the South Terrace and experience that view for yourself, which is so special.
“It also sits parallel to the Gareth Reid portrait of HRH King Charles III, which shows the King looking towards Yew Tree Walk, so there is a lovely symmetry in the curation of the collection.”
Many other artists in the room have connections to the area. These include Newry painter Margaret Clark, whose painting The Dressmaker depicts her former profession.
Cherith McKinstry was an artist from nearby Lisburn, whom David tells me worked on an early refurbishment of Belfast’s Grand Opera House in the mid-1900s.
“Basil Blackshaw, who lived just a mile from the castle, and whose 1958 painting Culcavy Cottage, is on display, helped stretch the canvases in her studio when she was working on them.”
Other works by local artists David points out included John Luke’s Edenderry Locks, William Conor and Belfast artist Gerard Dillon, a painter decorator “until he made money from his art”.
“Another interesting one is James Hubert Craig, who moved to America for a while where he earned a living physically painting the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.
The Drawing Room at Hillsborough Castle is a haven of Irish art, a celebration of our magnificent land and seascapes
— David Orr
“Like Clarke and Dillon, where these artists started and how they are viewed now is really fascinating,” enthuses David, who clearly has a wealth of knowledge.
“There are many interesting stories woven amongst the collections. Part of my role is to try and find out a little bit more,” he adds.
One such story is that of Alice Berger Hammerschlag, whose 1966 Vanishing Barriers is in the drawing room. An Austrian artist, she fled to Belfast from Nazi Germany in 1938.
“She made art to provoke thoughts and was ahead of her time. She worked in theatre in America as well, before returning to Belfast where she died. We’re aware that there is an ever increasing interest in her work on both sides of the Atlantic, so it’s really exciting to highlight it.”
There are a few surprises on the walls of the drawing room including two small watercolours by King Charles of the Mountains of Mourne and a painting by Belfast-born painter Sir John Lavery of former prime minister Winston Churchill painting in his London garden.
“Churchill didn’t begin to paint until his 40s and was taught by his friends including Lavery and Lavery’s wife Hazel. And in Churchill’s home in Kent there is a portrait by Churchill of Sir John Lavery and it’s pretty good,” David adds.
