The National Gallery of Ireland boasts an extensive collection of paintings, sculpture and objets d'art. It also hosts temporary exhibitions by internationally renowned artists. Among the highlights is Caravaggio's masterpiece The Taking of Christ (1602).
Among the paintings are a fine collection of Old Masters, featuring works by Tintoretto, Titian, Goya and El Greco. Impressionist paintings include works by Monet, Picasso and others. The collection of Irish painting is exhaustive - with a generous selection by W B Yeats' brother, Jack. British artists featured include Hogarth and Gainsborough.
The sculpture is dispersed among the galleries of paintings and mostly dates from the 17th to 19th centuries, with marble works by Piamontini and Cavaceppi and small Florentine bronzes by Tacca. The largest section is dedicated to Irish portrait busts by Cunningham, Turk and Moore and work by neoclassical sculptors Hewetson and Hogan. There are also bronzes by Rodin, Dalou and Epstein. The objets d'art include stained glass, furniture, silver and fans, while the works on paper include drawings, pastels, watercolours, prints and miniatures.