Rita Duffy RUA of Castle Street, Belfast. Rare Signed Limited Edition Lithograph

A superb and increasingly difficult-to-find signed limited-edition lithograph 48/50, by acclaimed Belfast artist Rita Duffy RUA, titled “Castle Street”, dating from 1988.

This is an especially strong early work by Duffy, produced only a few years after completing her MA in Fine Art at the University of Ulster in 1985. The composition captures the extraordinary character of late-1980s Belfast street life: crowded pavements, mothers, children, shoppers, cars and tightly packed architecture rendered with Duffy’s distinctive combination of social observation, humour and psychological intensity.

Duffy has subsequently become one of Ireland’s most significant contemporary artists. She was awarded the Royal Ulster Academy Gold Medal in 2006 and elected to Aosdána in 2018. Her work is represented in major institutional collections including the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Ulster Museum, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Office of Public Works.

This example is number 48 from an edition of only 50, titled Castle Street in pencil and signed and dated Rita Duffy 1988 by the artist.

Importantly, this isn’t simply a decorative reproduction: it is a genuine signed, numbered limited-edition lithograph from a very small edition of 50.

The work also has an established secondary-market record. Another impression of Castle Street, Belfast — 13/50 — sold at Ross’s. The scarcity of the edition and Duffy’s substantially increased standing since the work was created make this a particularly interesting early example for collectors.

Artist: Rita Duffy RUA
Title: Castle Street / Castle Street, Belfast
Date: 1988
Medium: Limited-edition black & white lithograph
Edition: 48/50
Signed: Yes – pencil signed by Rita Duffy
Inscribed: Castle Street in pencil
Image size: Approx. 56 × 40.5 cm based on recorded examples of the edition
Presentation: Large glazed silver/chrome frame, mounted and ready to hang
Condition: Very good vintage condition overall – please examine photographs, which form part of the description.

The subject matter is quintessential early Rita Duffy: Belfast itself becomes the protagonist, with ordinary working people portrayed monumentally against the dense urban fabric of the city. Her work has remained deeply concerned with Irish identity, history, politics and the lived experience of Belfast and post-conflict society.

A particularly impressive piece in person due to its scale and extraordinarily detailed draughtsmanship. The monochrome palette and silver frame also give it a surprisingly contemporary appearance when hung in a modern interior.

Price: €425

A substantial and highly collectible signed work by an important living Irish artist, from an edition of just 50 impressions.

Collection preferred due to the size and glazed frame, although delivery/shipping can be discussed