Collection: James Barry

James Barry (1741-1806) was an Irish painter and one of the earliest Romantic artists in Britain. Born in Cork, Ireland, Barry showed early artistic talent and studied locally under John Butts before moving to Dublin and then, with the support of patrons like Edmund Burke, traveling across Europe to study the works of Renaissance masters. His experiences in Rome, Paris, Florence, and Venice deepened his appreciation for figures like Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, and da Vinci, whose influence marked his work with a dramatic and visionary style.

Barry's artistic vision often conflicted with his patrons' expectations. This independence was both a source of creative freedom and tension, particularly in his professional relationship with Burke, which soured over time. Despite personal setbacks and his "notoriously belligerent" personality, Barry's most celebrated work, The Progress of Human Culture, created for the Royal Society of Arts in London, remains significant. This six-part series, which he completed after seven years of solitary work, reflected his ambitious vision of human progress and virtue and has been likened to Britain’s answer to the Sistine Chapel.

His career, however, was punctuated by challenges. Although he became a Royal Academy of Arts member and professor of painting in 1782, his outspoken criticisms of the Academy and his disregard for the accepted norms eventually led to his expulsion in 1799, making him the only member to face such a fate until 2004.

Financial struggles and professional isolation marked his later years. Despite a public subscription arranged to support him, Barry died in poverty in 1806. His contributions were later reassessed, particularly during a major 1983 exhibition at the Tate Gallery, which recognised him as a pivotal figure in Irish art and an early influence on figures like William Blake. Barry's remains are interred in St. Paul's Cathedral, a testament to his lasting, if contentious, impact on British art.