Paintings by Caravaggio bring the magic of an Italian master to Belfast, yet the North appears to undervalue its own artists
Caravaggio is in Belfast. At the Ulster Museum, to be precise, where two of his masterpieces are on display as part of a unique collaboration with the UK’s National Gallery and the National Gallery of Ireland.
National Treasures: The Supper at Emmaus, which Caravaggio painted in 1601, is on show at the Ulster Museum. Photograph © National Gallery, London Even within the UK, the Northern Ireland budget is almost half that in Wales, the point of nearest comparison, which invests £9.45 per person in the arts annually.
A big part of the argument being made here is the economic one. This is difficult to quantify, which may be why recent figures are hard to find, but it is stating the obvious to point out that the arts bring an economic benefit, not least in terms of tourism and job creation, that far outweighs that annual investment of less than £10 million.
The arts, he said, were “a vital part of what makes us us”, yet there was an “underappreciation, to say the least”, from the Northern Ireland Executive towards them.The Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s chief executive, Roisín McDonough, has said: “The government money available here is simply not enough to meet our fundamental objective and one of the Northern Ireland Executive’s priorities – to ensure that everyone has access to the arts.
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