egg tempera, 32 x 61 cm © Fergus A Ryan, 2016

Private collection

December 2016 was unusually mild and calm in Ireland, and the autumn leaves were still on the oak trees early in the month. This private house near Dublin is over 250 years old. The octagonal pavilions at each end and the curving passage walls give the house its Palladian character. The owner tells me that, surprisingly, this seems to be the first time the house has been painted.