CURRICULUM VITAE
Dr Paul Caffrey BA MA PhD
Lecturer in the School of Visual Culture & Fellow NCAD Research Institute
Coordinator of 4th year, the Joint Major BA and the histories of visual and
material culture module of the BA in Visual Culture.
Research
Recent research includes contributions to the curatorial team of the major exhibition
at The Art Institute of Chicago Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design, 1690-1840 and
the accompanying publication (The Art Institute of Chicago and Yale University
Press, 2015) and to volume two of the Art and Architecture of Ireland (ed. by N.
Figgis) (Royal Irish Academy, The Paul Mellon Centre and Yale University Press,
2015).
Biography
Studied history of art and architecture and modern English literature at Trinity
College, University of Dublin. He worked for the Office of Public Works at William
Chambers’s Casino at Marino, Dublin and was the curator of Castletown House, Co.
Kildare. In 1991 he was appointed a lecturer in the Faculty of History of Art and
Design and Complementary Studies (now the School of Visual Culture) at NCAD.
Since 1999, he has been a trustee of the NCAD staff prize for students and of the
Thomas Dammann Junior Memorial Trust awards for research in art and design
(chairman of trustees since 2002). One of his interests is the contribution of the
chivalric and military orders to European and Middle Eastern history and in particular
the art and architecture associated with the Order of Malta.
Exhibitions (selected)
Curator of the following exhibitions:
John Comerford and the Portrait Miniature in Ireland c.1620-1850 Rothe House,
Kilkenny (1999)
The Portrait Miniature in Ireland c.1620-1850 The Hunt Museum, Limerick (1999)
Treasures to Hold: Irish and English Miniatures 1650-1850 from the National
Gallery of Ireland Collection National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin (2000)
The Studio of Nathaniel Hone RHA (1871-1917) Gorry Gallery, Dublin (2002)
Curatorial consultant:
Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design, 1690-1840 The Art Institute of Chicago,
2015.
Publications (selected)
1. (1986) ‘Samuel Lover's Achievement as a Painter’ Irish Arts Review, vol. III, no. 1,
pp. 51-4.
2. (1986) ‘Sampson Towgood Roch, Miniaturist’ Irish Arts Review, vol. III, no. 4,
front cover & pp. 1, 14-21.
3. (1987) ‘John Comerford, Portrait Painter’ Irish Arts Review, vol. IV, no. 3, pp. 4248.
4. (1990) Castletown, Castletown Foundation, Celbridge.
5. (1990) ‘The Long Gallery, Castletown’ GPA Music in Great Irish Houses.
6. (1991) ‘Lord Edward Fitzgerald by Horace Hone’ catalogue entry, Gorry Gallery,
Dublin.
7. (1991) ‘Correspondence: Bosanquet or Bosanquet?’ Country Life, vol. CLXXXV,
no. 48, (28 November) p. 66.
8. (1995) ‘William Ashford by John Comerford’ catalogue entry, Gorry Gallery,
Dublin.
9. (1995) Castletown, Office of Public Works, Dublin [new edition].
10. (1996) Paula Rego Graphic Work, Graphic Studio Gallery, Dublin.
11. (1996) ‘Present’ in Design for Innovation, NCAD 250/ Smurfit Industrial Design
Exhibition, pp. 6-20.
12. (1997) ‘Sybil Connolly, Couturiere, Designer of Textiles, Ceramics, Glass and
Interiors’ (ed. S. Pendergast) Contemporary Designers, St James Press, Detroit,
Michigan.
13. (1997) ‘Paul Hogan, Design Management Consultant’
(ed. S. Pendergast) Contemporary Designers, St James Press, Detroit, Michigan.
14. (1997) ‘Gearoid O Conchubhair, Furniture and Industrial Designer’ (ed. S.
Pendergast) Contemporary Designers, St James Press, Detroit, Michigan.
15. (1997) ‘Arthur Gibney, Architect and Interior Designer’ (ed. S. Pendergast)
Contemporary Designers, St James Press, Detroit, Michigan.
16. (1997) ‘Denis Handy, Architect and Designer’ (ed. S. Pendergast) Contemporary
Designers, St James Press, Detroit, Michigan.
17. (1997) ‘An Introduction to the Portrait Miniature and Miniature Painting in
Ireland’ exhibition catalogue, Gorry Gallery, Dublin.
18. (1997) ‘Ireland’ [A history of interior design] (ed. J. Banham) Encyclopedia of
Interior Design, 2 vols, Fitzroy Dearborn, London and Chicago.
19. (1998) ‘The Scandinavian Ideal: A Model for Design in Ireland’ Scandinavian
Journal of Design History, vol. 8, pp. 32-43.
20. (1999) John Comerford and the Portrait Miniature in Ireland c.1620-1850,
Kilkenny Archaeological Society, Kilkenny and Dublin.
21. (2000) ‘The Colleen Bawn and the Colleen Dhu - Peasants of the County of
Galway’ catalogue entry, Gorry Gallery, Dublin.
22. (2000) ‘Design for Industry: the Industrial Design Consultancy and Product
Design in the Republic of Ireland’ in `From the Edge: Art and Design in 20th Century
Ireland’ CIRCA, Summer, pp. 7-9.
29. (2000) Treasures to Hold Irish and English Miniatures 1650-1850 from the
National Gallery of Ireland Collection, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. Hardback
and paperback editions.
30. (2000) Thought Lines Four an anthology of research edited by Paul Caffrey,
National College of Art and Design, Dublin.
31. (2001) ‘Design History and Material Culture in Ireland: An Outline of Sources
and Resources’ An Leabharlann The Irish Library, second series, vol. 15, no. 3/4,
pp.119-123.
32. (2002) ‘John Ramage: The Wandering Portraitist’ Irish Arts Review, Summer,
pp. 96-99.
33. (2002) The Studio of Nathaniel Hone RHA (1871-1917) exhibition catalogue [with
Dr Julian Campbell], The Gorry Gallery, June.
34. (2003) ‘William Sadler II (1782-1839)’ in 2002 Review, Adams & Co., Dublin.
35. (2003) ‘Material Culture and the Object’, convenor and guest editor, material
culture theme issue of CIRCA, 103, p. 28.
36. (2003) ‘Irish Material Culture: the Shape of the Field’ CIRCA, 103, pp. 29-32.
37. (2003) ‘Foreword’ in Alastair Laing and Richard Walker Portrait Miniatures in
National Trust Houses Volume I: Northern Ireland, vol. I, National Trust, London.
38. (2003) ‘Archives and Collections: The National Irish Visual Art Library Design
Archives at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin.’ Journal of Design
History, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 341-348.
39. (2003) Kildare Street and University Club: Catalogue of the Kildare Street and
University Club Collection of Paintings, Drawings, Watercolours and Prints, SnoeckDucaju & Zoon, Ghent [de luxe subscriber edition].
40. (2003) ‘Miniature Painting in Ireland’ (ed. B. Lalor) The Encyclopedia of Ireland,
Gill and Macmillan, Dublin.
41. (2003) ‘Post War Furniture Design’ (ed. B. Lalor) The Encyclopedia of Ireland,
Gill and Macmillan, Dublin.
42. (2003) ‘Irish Portrait Miniatures’ in The Irish Antique Dealers’ Association
Yearbook 2003-2004, Dublin.
43. (2004) ‘Francis Bindon’ in (ed. C. Matthew) Oxford Dictionary of National
Biography, Oxford University Press.
44. (2004) ‘Adam Buck’ (ed. C. Matthew) Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,
Oxford University Press.
45. (2004) ‘Sir Frederic William Burton’ (ed. C. Matthew) Oxford Dictionary of
National Biography, Oxford University Press.
46. (2004) ‘Samuel Collins’ in (ed. C. Matthew) Oxford Dictionary of National
Biography, Oxford University Press.
47. (2004) ‘John Comerford’ in (ed. C. Matthew) Oxford Dictionary of National
Biography, Oxford University Press.
48. (2004) ‘Charles Cromwell Ingham’ in (ed. C. Matthew) Oxford Dictionary of
National Biography, Oxford University Press.
49. (2004) ‘Michael Kean’ in (ed. C. Matthew) Oxford Dictionary of National
Biography, Oxford University Press.
50. (2004) ‘Denis Brownell Murphy’ in (ed. C. Matthew) Oxford Dictionary of
National Biography, Oxford University Press.
51. (2004) ‘Samuel Lover’ in (ed. C. Matthew) Oxford Dictionary of National
Biography, Oxford University Press.
52. (2004) ‘Irish Design 1984-2004’ Irish Arts Review, vol. 21, Autumn, pp.86-9.
53. (2005) ‘Forty Shades of Green: a Convergence of Irish Art and Craft (eds B.
Kennedy, S. Cutts & E. Van Horn)’ Irish Arts Review, vol.22, Spring, pp.139-40
[book and exhibition review].
54. (2006) ‘A guide to Sources for the History of Material Culture in Ireland 15002000 by Toby Barnard’ Journal of Design History, vol.19, no.2, Summer, pp.180-3
[book review].
55. (2006) ‘Perfect Likeness European and American Portrait Miniatures from the
Cincinnati Art Museum by J. Aronson & M.E. Wieseman’ Irish Arts Review, vol.23,
Summer 2006, p.136 [book and exhibition review].
56. (2007) ‘Nathaniel Hone RA (1718-84): An Enamel Self-portrait in Vandyke
Dress’ Irish Arts Review, vol. 24, no.1, Spring, pp.102-3.
57. (2007) ‘The Shannon Collection’ Irish Arts Review, vol. 24, no.4, Winter, pp.116121.
58. (2008) ‘Miniature Painting in Ireland’ (ed. B. Lalor) The Encyclopedia of Ireland,
Yale University Press, New Haven and London.
59. (2008) ‘Reflections of an Age of Grace [preview of the Hugh Douglas Hamilton
(1740-1808) A Life in Pictures (ed. A. Hodge) catalogue and exhibition at the
National Gallery of Ireland]’ Irish Arts Review, vol. 25, no 3, Autumn, pp. 110-113.
60. (2008) ‘The Comerford Collection’ Irish Arts Review, vol. 25, no.4, Winter, pp.
96-99.
61. (2009) Kildare Street and University Club: Catalogue of the Kildare Street and
University Club Collection of Paintings, Drawings, Watercolours and Prints, updated
edition, Snoeck-Ducaju & Zoon, Ghent.
62. (2009) ‘Gustavus Hamilton’ in (eds J. McGuire & J. Quinn) Royal Irish Academy
Dictionary of Irish Biography, RIA Cambridge University Press. Appointed an
editorial advisor and contributor to this publication.
63. (2009) ‘Horace Hone’ in (eds J. McGuire & J. Quinn) Royal Irish Academy
Dictionary of Irish Biography, RIA Cambridge University Press.
64. (2009) ‘Michael Kean’ in (eds J. McGuire & J. Quinn) Royal Irish Academy
Dictionary of Irish Biography, RIA Cambridge University Press.
65. (2009) ‘Sampson Towgood Roch’ in (eds J. McGuire & J. Quinn) Royal Irish
Academy Dictionary of Irish Biography, RIA Cambridge University Press.
66. (2009) ‘Samuel Lover’ in (eds J. McGuire & J. Quinn) Royal Irish Academy
Dictionary of Irish Biography, RIA Cambridge University Press.
67. (2009) ‘Denis Brownell Murphy’ in (eds J. McGuire & J. Quinn) Royal Irish
Academy Dictionary of Irish Biography, RIA Cambridge University Press.
68. (2009) ‘Henry Pelham’ in (eds J. McGuire & J. Quinn) Royal Irish Academy
Dictionary of Irish Biography, RIA Cambridge University Press.
69. (2009) ‘Rupert Barber’ in (eds J. McGuire & J. Quinn) Royal Irish Academy
Dictionary of Irish Biography, RIA Cambridge University Press.
70. (2009) ‘Primary Text Commentary’ and ‘Design in Ireland: Report of the
Scandinavian Design Group in Ireland, April 1961’ The Journal of Modern Craft,
vol.2, no.3, November 2009, pp. 325-344.
71. (2010) contributed to the English language version of Gilles d’Aubigny and
Bernard Capo The Hospitallers of Malta, Editions du Triomphe, Paris.
72. (2011) ‘Nationality and Representation: the Coinage Design Committee (1926-8)
and the Formation of a Design Identity in the Irish Free State’ chapter 4 in (eds L.
King and E. Sisson) Ireland, Design and Visual Culture: Negotiating Modernity,
1922-1992, Cork University Press, pp. 74-89.
73. (2012) ‘Miniature Portraits from the Comerford Collection’ chapter in (ed. L.
Mulvin) The Fusion of Neo-Classical Principles, Wordwell, Dublin.
74. (2013) ‘Silhouettes and Keepsakes.’ Irish Arts Review, vol. 30, no.4, Winter,
pp. 90-91.
75. (2014) ‘Irish Miniature Painters.’ and biographical entries in (eds A. Carpenter &
N. Figgis) Art and Architecture of Ireland Painting 1600-1900, vol. 2, Royal Irish
Academy and The Paul Mellon Centre, Yale University Press, Dublin, London and
New Haven.
76. (2014) ‘Samuel Lover’ in (eds A. Beyer, B. Savoy & W. Tegethoff) Allgemeines
Kunstlerlexikon, De Gruyter, Berlin.
77. (2014) ‘Wallpaper in Ireland, 1700-1900 by David Skinner.’ Irish Arts Review,
vol. 31, no. 3, Autumn, pp.132-133 [book review].
78. (2015) ‘Jewels above all prize Portrait Miniatures on Enamel and Ivory’ in (eds
W. Laffan, & C. Monkhouse with Fitzpatrick, L.) IRELAND Crossroads of Art and
Design, 1690-1840. The Art Institute of Chicago and Yale University Press, Chicago
New Haven and London.
78. (2015) ‘European Portrait Miniatures: Artists, Functions and Collections (eds. B.
Pappe, J. Schmieglitz, G. Walczak)’ [book review] The Burlington Magazine,
vol.157, no. 1346, May.
Forthcoming
79. (2015) ‘The Visual Culture of the Hospitaller Knights of the Priory of Ireland.’
Chapter in (eds M. Browne & C. O Clabaigh) Soldiers of Christ: The Knights
Hospitaller and the Knights Templar in Medieval Ireland, Four Courts Press, Dublin.
81. (2015) ‘John Mayhew’ [of Ince and Mayhew] in (eds A. Beyer, B. Savoy & W.
Tegethoff) Allgemeines Kunstlerlexikon, De Gruyter, Berlin.
82. (2015) ’Charles Maucourt’ in (eds A. Beyer, B. Savoy & W. Tegethoff)
Allgemeines Kunstlerlexikon, De Gruyter, Berlin.
83. (2015) ’Alexander Marshal’ in (eds A. Beyer, B. Savoy & W. Tegethoff)
Allgemeines Kunstlerlexikon, De Gruyter, Berlin.
84. (2015) ‘John Medina’ in (eds A. Beyer, B. Savoy & W. Tegethoff) Allgemeines
Kunstlerlexikon, De Gruyter, Berlin.
85. (2015) ‘Anne Mee’ [born Foldstone] in (eds A. Beyer, B. Savoy & W. Tegethoff)
Allgemeines Kunstlerlexikon, De Gruyter, Berlin.
86. (2015) ’William Gordon Mein’ in (eds A. Beyer, B. Savoy & W. Tegethoff)
Allgemeines Kunstlerlexikon, De Gruyter, Berlin.
87. (2015) ‘Edward Miles’ in (eds A. Beyer, B. Savoy & W. Tegethoff) Allgemeines
Kunstlerlexikon, De Gruyter, Berlin.
88. (2015) ‘Denis Brownell Murphy’ in (eds A. Beyer, B. Savoy & W. Tegethoff)
Allgemeines Kunstlerlexikon, De Gruyter, Berlin.
Research Interests
These include the exploration of the visual and material culture of Ireland and its
relationship with the wider European and North American contexts; miniature
painting on vellum, enamel and ivory; dress and jewellery; architecture, interior
architecture and design; the design of coinage; state lead initiatives in the promotion
of design and Kilkenny Design Workshops (1963-88).
Collaborations
Recent collaborations include those with The Art Institute of Chicago’s curatorial
team for the exhibition and accompanying publication Ireland: Crossroads of Art and
Design, 1690-1840 (2015); with University College, Dublin, to whose publications he
was a contributor: see The Fusion of Neo-classical Principles, edited by Dr Lynda
Mulvin (2012) and see Art & Architecture of Ireland, volume 2, edited by Dr Nicola
Figgis (2014) both of the School of Art History and Cultural Policy, UCD; and with
the National Gallery of Ireland, whose collection of British and Irish miniatures he
catalogued, see Treasures to Hold (2000).