RENOWNED FRENCH IMPRESSIONIST paintings are making a welcome return to Ireland from the National Gallery of London today. As part of a collection of eight paintings, the four paintings will go on display in The Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin.

The four paintings go on display in Dublin for six years at a time. This agreement was made after Hugh Lane’s death in 1915. Lane was one of the foremost collectors and dealers of Impressionist paintings in Europe and had a vast collection.

The Lane bequest

Following his death, his will bequeathed his collection to London, but an un witnessed codicil which he wrote before his death bequeathed it to Dublin. However the codicil was not witnessed and his wishes were not honoured.

Negotiations to have the collection returned went on between Dublin and London from 1929 to 1959, whereby Taoiseach Sean Lemass, negotiated an agreement that half of the Lane Bequest would be lent and shown in Dublin every five years.

In 1993 the agreement was varied so that 31 of the 39 paintings would stay in Ireland. The remaining eight were divided into two groups, so that four would be lent for six years at a time to Dublin.

The four paintings returning to Dublin tomorrow are:

• Les Parapluies or The Umbrellas by Auguste Renoir
• Portrait of Eva Gonzales by Edouard Manet
• Jour d’Ete or Summer’s Day by Berthe Morisot
• View of Louveciennes by Camille Pissarro