Early in his career Barret produced many oil paintings of classical scenery, often incorporating mythological figures. There is no evidence that he travelled to Italy. Most, if not all, of the paintings appear to have been commissioned for houses in Ireland. Thomas Bodkin considered that the oil paintings of Tivoli in Italy to be more likely to be work of his son George Barret junior. who also produced many works with classical themes. However, these can now be securely attributed to the elder Barret.