Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Italian landscape painter brought to Ireland from Rome in the autumn of 1805 by Valentine Lawless, second Baron Cloncurry, to decorate his house at Lyons, Co. Kildare, which had been enlarged to the designs of RICHARD MORRISON RICHARD MORRISON . Gaspare Gabrielli lived with Lord Cloncurry at Lyons for three years while he was carrying out his paintings. He married Lady Cloncurry's maid and in 1807 was called as a witness in the case of criminal conversation brought by Lord Cloncurry against Sir John Piers, who had had an adulterous relationship with Lady Cloncurry. He left Lyons in August 1808 and moved to lodgings in Dublin at the house of a cutler names John Lamprey at 29 Westmoreland Street. In 1810 or 1811 he moved again to 1 New Sackville Street, and in 1813 or 1814 to 25 Sackville Street Lower. He appears to have returned to Rome some time in 1814.(1)

During his years in Ireland Gabrielli established a considerable reputation as a landscape painter and was elected president of the Society of Artists in 1811. He showed sixty-seven works at the exhibitions of the Society of Artists of Ireland, the Irish Society of Artists and the Hibernian Society of Artists between 1809 and 1814.(2) In addition to his work at Lyons, he decorated a room with views of Herculaneum for William Montagu, fifth Duke of Manchester at Tandragee Castle, Co. Armagh,(3) and he may be the artist who decorated the front drawing room at 41 North Great George's Street with views of the Italian coast.(4) After his return to Rome he became a dealer in works of art. He was active in this capacity during the 1820s. He appears to have maintained a connection with Richard Morrison, supplying chimneypieces and works of art for Richard and William Morrison's houses for Sir Charles Coote at Ballyfin and for the Earl of Meath at Kilruddery, and perhaps also for Fota House, which the Morrisons enlarged for John Smith-Barry. He died between 1828 and 1833.(4)

See WORKS.



References

All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from Patricia Cashen, 'Valentine Lord Cloncurry and his collection at Lyons House', unpublished M.A. thesis, Department of the History of Art, University College, Dublin, 1986, and from Strickland.

(1) Strickland says that Gabrielli 'was sent to Italy by some of his patrons to paint pictures' in 1819, but Cashen, p. 99, note 17, quotes William Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire, as stating that he 'repaired to Rome' in 1814 (Handbook of Chatsworth and Hardwick (1845), 60); the fact that Gabrielli exhibited no paintings in Dublin after 1814 would seem to bear out the earlier date.
(2) For a list of these, seee IALE I, 259-60.
(3) Destroyed when the house was demolished in 1836.
(4) See Georgian Society Records (1909-13), I, 23, Plate XCII; if Gabrielli left Ireland in 1814 and if indeed he painted this room, it seems unlikely that his patron was Richard Orpen, who, according to Wilson's Dublin Directory was still living at 13 South Frederick Street in 1815.
(4) Gabrielli's dates of birth and death from Rijksbureau voor Kunstihistorishche Documentatie databases (www.rkd.nl/rkddb).


3 work entries listed in chronological order for GABRIELLI, GASPARE *#


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Building: CO. KILDARE, LYONS
Date: 1805-1808
Nature: Decoration of hall, music room, dining room and drawing room for Valentine Lawless, 2nd Baron Cloncurry.
Refs: J. P. Neale, Views of Seats (2nd ser.), II (VIII) (1825), no. 61; J.B. Burke, Visitation of Seats and Arms (2nd ser., 1855), I, 81-2; June Eiffe, 'Lyons, Co. Kildare', Bulletin of the Irish Georgian Society 27 (1984), 20-23 (illustrated with colour plates of the drawing room murals); see also Patricia Cashen, 'Valentine Lord Cloncurry and his collection at Lyons House', unpublished M.A. thesis, Department of the History of Art, University College, Dublin, 1986, Chapter 2.

Building: CO. ARMAGH, TANDRAGEE CASTLE
Date: ?
Nature: Decoration of room with views of Herculaneum for William Montagu, 5th Duke of Manchester probably at some point between 1808 and 1814. House demolished 1836.
Refs: Patricia Cashen, 'Valentine Lord Cloncurry and his collection at Lyons House', unpublished M.A. thesis, Department of the History of Art, University College, Dublin, 1986, 99

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, GEORGE'S STREET NORTH GREAT, NO. 041
Date: ?
Nature: Decoration of front drawing room with views of the Italian coast 'probably' by Gabrielli.
Refs: Georgian Society Records (1909-13), I, 23, Pl. XCII (if Gabrielli left Ireland in 1814 and if indeed he painted this room, it seems unlikely that his patron was, as stated in Georgian Society Records, Richard Orpen, who, according to Wilson's Dublin Directory was still living at 13 South Frederick Street in 1815).