William Orpen joins forces with The Merrion

June 2005

If you are a lover of art then why not stay at Dublin's stylish Merrion Hotel and visit the Sir William Orpen exhibition in the National Gallery experiencing the ultimate in hospitality as well as art.

To celebrate the arrival of the Sir William Orpen retrospective exhibition Politics, Sex and Death at the National Gallery of Ireland, the Merrion is offering a special overnight package at a rate of €280 per person sharing. This includes a one night stay in a superior queen room in the garden wing, full Irish breakfast the next morning, a copy of The Merrion Hotel's own art catalogue and complimentary admission for two to all exhibitions in the National Gallery of Ireland

Dublin born artist, Sir William Orpen (1878 - 1931) was the most famous portrait painter of his day with a highly profitable practice both in London and in Dublin. This major retrospective exhibition reveals the full variety of the artist's work from his revitalization of the nude and his conversation pieces to his extraordinary allegories, war paintings, and his series of self-portraits.

The exhibition, which received acclaimed reviews at its first venue earlier this year at the Imperial War Museum in London, comprises some 70 oil paintings drawn from public and private collections. It comprises of fragmentary illustrated letters and drawings which William Orpen sent his lover Mrs St George over a fifteen year period. Many of these informal notes are illustrated with quirky, humorous sketches. They give a rounded picture of a complex and sensitive man and focus on various aspects of Orpen's private and public life.

For further information and reservations please contact The Merrion directly on +353 1 603 0600, facsimile +353 1 603 0700, e-mail or alternatively via the website.

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