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One of the most influential and respected painters of his day, James
Brenan was born in Dublin and educated variously at the School of
Art in Leinster House, the RHA School, the RDS Drawing School and
in the studios of Owen Jones and Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt in London.
He trained to be an art teacher and at the age of 20 became an assistant
master at the Birmingham School of Art. After three years of further
study and occasional teaching, he was appointed Head Master of the
Cork School of Art - a position he held from 1860 to 1889. During
his time there, he instituted lace-making classes throughout numerous
convents in Co. Cork and was instrumental in arranging the Gibson
Bequest, one of the most important acquisition funds for the Crawford
Gallery. In 1889 he was made Head Master of the Dublin Metropolitan
School of Art where one of his pupils was Sir William Orpen. Brenan
lived the rest of his days in Rathmines, Dublin, exhibiting at the
RHA up until his death. |