Study for The Ratification of the Irish Treaty in the House of Lords, December 1921 by Sir John Lavery (1856-1941).
This historical study by Sir John Lavery sold for £43,750 (€52,562) at Bellmans in Britain today and was bought by the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin. Estimated at £20,000 – £30,000, the work generated competition from both online and telephone bidders before the hammer came down at £35,000 (£43,750 including premium). The Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin hosted the 2021 centenary exhibition, Studio & State: The Laverys and the Anglo-Irish Treaty, and were delighted to add to their collection of works by Lavery.
On Friday, 16 December 1921 the Irish Treaty passed from the Commons to the House of Lords for ratification. It was the moment the British Empire changed – it had been expanding rapidly since the 1870s, but went into steep decline, and led to civil war in Ireland and ultimately the emergence of a ‘Free State’.
(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for August 25, 2024)
