First published in 1913, this highly illustrated two-volume work was intended to give as full an account as possible of the lives and works of painters, sculptors and engravers in Ireland from the earliest times to the nineteenth century. Until then, the history of Irish art had been largely neglected, so this project was an extensive undertaking for Walter George Strickland (1850–1928), who became Director of the National Gallery of Ireland. It took him two decades to compile, and involved accessing private collections, corresponding with experts, meeting with the artists' descendants, and consulting letters, diaries and notes relating to their works. Each entry contains biographical information on the artist and details of their works, with portraits and examples provided in hundreds of plates. This unique reference work remains of great interest to art historians and historians of Ireland.