Robert Emmet in Court 1803 – Irish Patriot Art Print

Robert Emmet's trial ended with the most famous closing statement in Irish history — convicted of treason, he stood and delivered a speech from the dock which, as it has come down to us, closed by asking that no man write his epitaph until his country took her place among the nations of the earth. He was hanged and beheaded the next day, aged twenty-five. This engraving, made by William Read in the 19th century, captures him mid-trial, before the sentence.

National Gallery of Ireland Collection.

About this work

This is a nineteenth-century line and stipple engraving by William Read, after an unidentified English artist, showing Robert Emmet standing in the dock at Green Street courthouse in Dublin during his trial for high treason on 19 September 1803. He was convicted that day, delivered his speech from the dock, and was hanged and beheaded in Thomas Street the following day, aged twenty-five. The words most often quoted from that speech — that no man should write his epitaph until his country takes her place among the nations of the earth — survive only in later reconstructions; no verbatim transcript was taken. The original engraving is held by the National Gallery of Ireland (NGI.10779), purchased in 1898. This print is an open edition, made to order and shipped worldwide.

Sizes & Format

• 30 × 40 cm / 12 × 16″
• 45 × 60 cm / 18 × 24″
• 60 × 80 cm / 24 × 32″
• Unframed in every size; framed in black, white or wood at 30 × 40 cm, 45 × 60 cm and 60 × 80 cm

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.