Victoria Castle and the Val of Shanganagh, Dún Laoghaire 1843

Elizabeth Murray painted *Victoria Castle and the Val of Shanganagh, Dún Laoghaire* with watercolor on paper. Murray’s choice of watercolor lends a delicate, almost dreamlike quality to the scene. Notice how the transparency of the medium allows the paper’s surface to subtly influence the colors, creating a sense of light and atmosphere. Watercolors were a popular choice for landscapes, as their portability made them ideal for working outdoors, *en plein air*. The quick-drying nature of the paint also allowed artists to capture fleeting moments of light and weather. The technique involves layering washes of color, building up depth and form gradually. This method demands a degree of planning and control, but also allows for spontaneity and improvisation. The visible brushstrokes and subtle gradations of tone give the painting a sense of immediacy and life. Murray's choice of watercolor was not merely aesthetic; it was practical, fitting into a broader culture of leisure and travel that defined much of 19th-century artistic practice.