Russborough House
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Russborough House is a stately house situated near the Blessington Lakes in County Wicklow, Ireland, between the towns of Blessington and Ballymore Eustace. It is a particularly fine example of Palladian architecture, designed by Richard Cassels for the First Earl of Milltown, Joseph Lesson, and built between 1741 and 1755. The interior of the house contrasts with the austere exterior by way of some ornate plasterwork on the ceilings by the Lafranchini brothers, who also collaborated with Cassels on Carton House.
Russborough has housed two fine art collections, begun with the Milltown estate, whose collection was donated to the National Gallery of Ireland upon the death of the last Earl. Alfred Beit bought the house in 1952 where he housed his own family's collection, comprising works by many great artists, including Goya, Vermeer, Rubens and Gainsborough. This collection was since robbed four times, in 1974 by a gang including British heiress Rose Dugdale, in 1986 by Martin Cahill (nicknamed "The General"), the third time was in 2001 and the fourth time was in 2002. Two paintings, including probably the most valuable painting of the collection,The Letter Writer by Vermeer along with Madame Bacelli by Gainsborough were stolen twice in these thefts, though both were subsequently recovered. The Beit collection has donated many of its works to the state and the house remains open to the public, having been opened by the Alfred Beit foundation in 1978.
