Chester Beatty Library

Established in Dublin in 1950, the Chester Beatty Library is an art museum and library housing the extraordinary collection of rare illuminated manuscripts, drawings, miniature paintings, prints and decorative arts from the great cultures and religions of the world, collected by Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (1875-1968).

One of the most important contributors to the visual arts scene in Ireland, Regarded as one of the leading "boutique" museums, its diverse range of exhibits comprises a representative sample of the world's ancient art and cultural heritage from about 2700 BCE to the present day.

A Woman After Her Bath (1920)
by Hashiguchi Goyo.

Western Arts of Antiquity and Renaissance Eras

Among the highlights from the history of Western art and culture in the Chester Beatty Library, are Egyptian papyrus texts dating from the second to the fourth century AD, consisting of the earliest known copies of the four gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Letters of St Paul, as well as the Book of Revelation and numerous very early Old Testament fragments.

These treasures make the Chester Beatty Library one of the preeminent sources for scholars in both the Old and New Testaments. In addition, there are a large number of rare European manuscripts from medieval, Renaissance and modern times.

Saint Mark the Evangelist (c.1100)
by Unknown Artist.

Eastern Arts and Culture

Among the highlights of Eastern art and culture in the Chester Beatty Library, are over 5,000 items - predominantly manuscripts, single-page paintings and calligraphies - including: 250 Qur’ans, some executed as early as the eighth and ninth centuries BCE by the leading calligraphers of the Islamic world, and a rare collection of Persian manuscripts and miniature paintings.

A Lady Prepares a Meal
(c.1810) by Unknown Artist.

Other Cultural Treasures

Highlights of Chinese and other Oriental art include: outstanding Buddhist paintings, the largest collection of jade books from the Imperial Court outside China and a large collection of rare textiles and decorative objects. Its decorative arts include rare Japanese woodblock prints by Hiroshige and Hokusai, Chinese dragon robes and more.

The Chester Beatty Library was named European Museum of the Year in 2002.

• For details of other Leinster fine art exhibitions and collections, see: Irish Art Galleries and Museums.
• For facts about painting and sculpture in Ireland, see: Guide to Irish Art

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