Irish Treaty Ratification (1921) – Sir John Lavery Print

The Irish Treaty Ratification (1921) – Sir John Lavery

The original hangs in the National Gallery of Ireland.

In December 1921, Ireland voted for its own future. Sir John Lavery was in the room. He painted what he saw — the solemnity, the weight, the men who understood exactly what they were deciding. It remains one of the most important historical paintings ever made in Ireland.

For the Irish living far from home, there is no more powerful way to bring that moment back.

About the Painting

Lavery painted the scene with the eye of a witness and the skill of a master. Born in Belfast in 1856, he became one of the most celebrated portrait painters of his generation — moving between London and Dublin, documenting the faces and moments that shaped his era. He chose to record the Treaty ratification because he understood its weight. He worked the subject up more than once; the version in the National Gallery of Ireland is the one printed here.

About Sir John Lavery

Sir John Lavery (1856–1941) was born in Belfast and became one of Ireland's greatest painters. He studied in Glasgow, London and Paris before establishing himself as the preeminent portrait painter of his generation. His face appeared on Irish banknotes for decades — his wife Hazel used as the model for Éire. He documented the Treaty ratification because he understood he was watching history. He was right.

About this work

The Ratification of the Irish Treaty in the English House of Lords, 1921 was painted by the Irish artist Sir John Lavery (1856–1941), who was born in Belfast. Lavery painted it on the spot in the chamber of the House of Lords at Westminster on the afternoon of 16 December 1921, during the debate on the Anglo-Irish Treaty. The original is oil on board, 36 × 26 cm, signed lower right, and hangs in the National Gallery of Ireland (NGI.1736), purchased in 1963. Lavery worked the subject up more than once — a larger version is in Glasgow Museums. This print is an open edition, made to order and shipped worldwide.

Sizes & Format

• A4 21 × 29.7 cm / 8 × 12″
• A3 (29.7 × 42 cm)
• A2 (42 × 59.4 cm)
• Available framed (black, white, wood) or unframed

Print & Frame Details

Archival matte paper, 250gsm (110lb), acid-free and FSC-certified — off-white, uncoated. Framed prints: solid oak or ash wood frame, 20mm thick, with shatterproof protective glazing. Ready to hang, hanging kit included. Unframed prints up to A4 ship flat; larger sizes ship rolled in a protective tube.

Free Worldwide Shipping

Framed prints are packed with protective corners and wrap, boxed with reinforced edges, and braced with internal supports for extra rigidity (max 3 frames per package). Every order ships free, made to order and delivered from the hub closest to you: Ireland 3–7 business days · UK 4–8 · USA 5–10 · Canada 6–12 · Australia 7–14.