antiquesandartireland.com

Information about Art, Antiques and Auctions in Ireland and around the world
  • ABOUT
  • About Des
  • Contact

    • Posts Tagged ‘James Mahony’

    IRISH STAINED GLASS ARTISTRY TOUR DE FORCE AT ADAMS

    Sunday, March 21st, 2021
    Harry Clarke (1889-1931) Bluebeard’s last wife. UPDATE: THIS MADE 165,000 AT HAMMER

    A lost lamented old Cork public interior and a tour de force of Irish stained glass artistry are among the lots on offer at the online James Adam evening sale of important Irish art on March 24. Harry Clarke’s intricate depiction of Bluebeard’s Last Wife is the catalogue cover lot. When she discovered the bodies of his previous wives Bluebeard’s last wife orchestrated his downfall. The vivid miniature in an inlaid cabinet by James Hicks – made up of two glass panels intricately worked together to provide a scene of astounding detail and gruesome foreboding – is estimated at €80,000-€120,000.
    A large 1852 watercolour by James Mahony offers a fascinating interior view of the Benson building on Albert Quay where Cork City Hall now stands. The National Exhibition of the Arts, Manufactures and Products of Ireland  was officially opened here on June 10, 1852 by the Lord Lieutenant Archilbald Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton. Mahony depicts a long line of eminent citizens waiting to be introduced in a detailed work estimated at €6,000-€10,000.  The semi circular wood trusses and large skylights depicted were designed by engineer John Benson, architect for the exhibition. The much loved building  was dismantled and re-erected in Emmet Place where it was used for lectures and exhibitions and known as The Atheneum. It was re-named the Cork Opera House in 1877. Among Benson’s other buildings in Cork are the Firkin Crane, the English Market and St. Patrick’s Bridge. Because they were made of wood nearly all his Cork buildings have been destroyed or lost their original roof trusses.  Survivors include the tower over the main door of the North Cathedral and the old waterworks on the Lee Road. The Belle of Chinatown, a 1943 oil by Jack B. Yeats, is estimated at €120,000-€160,000 while Serving Dinner, an 1890 work by Katherine MacCausland has an estimate of €25,000-€35,000.  There is art by Walter Osborne and Sir John Lavery, Louis le Brocquy and Anne Madden, Hughie O’Donoghue, Michael Farrell and Patrick Collins among 138 lots on offer.

    James Mahony (1810-1879) The official opening of the  National Exhibition of the Art, Manufacturers and Products of Ireland, Cork 1852. UPDATE: THIS MADE 13,000 AT HAMMER

    Tags: , ,
    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS | No Comments »

    COMING HOME AT UILINN, THE WEST CORK ARTS CENTRE

    Wednesday, July 25th, 2018

    The Consecration of St. Mary’s Popes Quay by James Mahony

    Coming Home: Art and the Great Hunger is now on show at Uilinn, the West Cork Arts Centre in Skibbereen in County Cork, an epicentre of the famine.   More than 50 artworks from Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum at Quinnipiac University – at Hamden, Connecticut between Boston and New York – are on stunning display. It has been seen by tens of thousands of people at Quinnipiac.

    In west Cork the show is accompanied by a diverse programme of performances, talks, lectures and events including artists talks and a reading by Jeremy Irons of The Cummins Letter written by a local JP in 1848 describing the conditions in Reen. Among the artworks is The Consecration of St. Mary’s Popes Quay by James Mahony, the Cork born artist best known for his harrowing depictions of the famine for The Illustrated London News, where he was an artist and reporter.  Dublin auctioneers Whyte’s presented a full sized replica of this work to the Dominicans at St. Mary’s, Cork after they were outbid by the American university when it came to auction in 2015.

    Tags: , , ,
    Posted in ART | No Comments »

    ART AND HISTORY AT JAMES ADAM SALE IN DUBLIN

    Sunday, May 27th, 2018
    Art and history coincide in a large watercolour by James Mahony of some lost Cork city fabric at the James Adam evening sale of important Irish art in Dublin on May 30.  The 1852 work is of the opening of the National Exhibition of the Arts, Manufactures and Products of Ireland in a building designed by the brilliant John Benson which stood where Cork City Hall now graces the riverside. Benson designed some iconic Cork buildings such as the English Market, the Waterworks, the Firkin Crane and the Butter Market.  Because they were mostly made of wood all of them have lost their original truss roofs as a result of fire. After the exhibition the building shown here was dismantled, sold and re-erected beside the Cork School of Art. Named The Atheneaeum it was used for lectures, exhibitions and performances. Re-named Cork Opera House in 1877 it was destroyed by fire in 1855.

    Walter Osborne’s Counting the Flock is the main lot of the auction, estimated at 100,000-150,000. There are works by Paul Henry, Jack Yeats, a Tangier painting  by Sir John Lavery and an abstract by Mainie Jellett.  There are two sculptures by Eilis O’Connell from the collection of the late John Hunt and works by Louis le Brocquy, George Campbell, Norah McGuinness, Colin Middleton, Patrick Hickey, Charles Tyrrell and Richard Gorman. Viewing at Adams is from 2 pm to 5 pm tomorrow and from 10 am to 5 pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

    The Official Opening of the National Exhibition of the Arts, Manufactures and Products of Ireland, Cork 1852 by James Mahony ARHA (1810-1879)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 4,200 AT HAMMER

    Counting the Flock by Walter Osborne (1859-1903)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 165,000 AT HAMMER

    Tags: , ,
    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS | No Comments »

    THE BLESSING OF THE FLEET BY JAMES MAHONY

    Saturday, July 1st, 2017

    The Blessing of the Fleet by James Mahony

    The Blessing of the Fleet by the Cork artist James Mahony is a highlight of the sale at Cork Auction Rooms on July 2.  Born in Cork in either 1811 or 1817 the artist is best known for his harrowing illustrations of the famine for The Illustrated London News, where he worked as an artist and reporter.  When a painting by James Mahony of The Consecration of St. Mary’s, Pope’s Quay around 1842 came up at Whyte’s in Dublin in 2015 the Great Hunger Museum at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut paid 19,000 at hammer for a work that had been estimated at 8,000-10,000.

    The Dominican congregation in Cork were the disappointed underbidders.  A replica of the work was subsequently presented by the Dublin auctioneers to the Cork Dominican Church and priory. Among the other lots coming up at Cork Auction Rooms tomorrow are a stained glass window design by Evie Hone based on the apparition at Fatima for St. Mary’s Church, Kingscourt, Co. Cavan, a gramophone with chinoiserie cabinet, a selection of gold coins and a greyhound painting  by the popular contemporary artist Mark O’Neill.

    Tags: ,
    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS, Miscellaneous | No Comments »

    WHYTE’S PRESENT REPLICA OF HISTORIC PAINTING TO CORK CHURCH

    Saturday, January 14th, 2017
    A replica of an historic painting of The Consecration of St. Mary’s, Pope’s Quay, has been presented by Dublin auctioneer’s Whyte’s to the Cork Dominican church and priory. The original was sold by Whyte’s in September 2015.  It was bought for the collection of Ireland’s Great Hunger  Museum at Quinnipiac University, Connecticut. They paid 19,000 on the hammer for the c1842 work estimated at 8,000-10,000.  St. Mary’s was the disappointed underbidder.
    “We felt very sorry that they didn’t get it” said Ian Whyte. “We got permission from the Famine Museum to create a full sized replica and this was finally completed and framed just before Christmas and we were delighted it arrived at St. Mary’s, where it can be appreciated by the people of Cork and visitors to the city”.
    The work had been presented to Kearns Deane, architect of St. Mary’s and had been passed down through the Deane family. At the time it was auctioned it had not been seen in public since being shown at the RHA in 1842. It depicts the ceremony in the newly built catholic church shortly after Catholic emancipation and includes the figure of Daniel O’Connell in the congregation.  The foundation stone of St. Mary’s was laid in 1832 and it opened in 1839. The Cork artist James Mahony is best known for his harrowing illustrations of the Irish famine for the Illustrated London News.  According to art historian Dr. Julian Campbell his illustrations were admired by, among others, Vincent van Gogh.
    St. Mary’s have placed the painting in the sanctuary and will install overhead lighting to ensure that it can be easily seen and appreciated by all visitors.

    THE CONSECRATION OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST. MARY’S, POPE’S QUAY, CORK, c.1842 by James Mahony RHA (c.1815-c.1859).

    The replica of the work being admired at St. Mary’s by Fr. Gerard Dunne, Prior and Mr. John O’Flynn

    Tags: , ,
    Posted in ART | No Comments »

    HISTORIC CORK PAINTING AT WHYTE’S ART AUCTION

    Saturday, September 19th, 2015

    THE CONSECRATION OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST. MARY'S, POPE'S QUAY, CORK, c.1842 by James Mahony RHA (c.1815-c.1859)

    THE CONSECRATION OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST. MARY’S, POPE’S QUAY, CORK, c.1842 by James Mahony RHA (c.1815-c.1859)  UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 19,000 AT HAMMER. IT WAS BOUGHT BY THE GREAT HUNGER MUSEUM, QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY, CONNECTICUT.

    AN historic Cork painting by James Mahony – The Consecration of the Roman Catholic Church of St. Mary’s, Pope’s Quay, Cork c1842 – comes up at Whyte’s Irish and International art auction in Dublin on September 28.  Estimated at 8,000-10,000 it has not been seen in public since it was shown at the RHA in 1842. It was presented to Kearns Deane, architect of St. Mary’s and brother of Sir Thomas Deane and has been passed down though the Deane family to the present owner. The historical significance of the work is that it shows an important public ceremony in a newly built catholic church shortly after Catholic emancipation.  It includes the figure of Daniel O’Connell in the congregation and is in its original frame.  The foundation stone of St. Mary’s was laid in 1832 and it opened in 1839. The interior depicted is now slightly different.  From 1868 to 1872 the rock behind the church was excavated and a larger apse constructed. The stained glass windows have been removed.

    In catalogue notes Dr. Julian Campbell recounts that James Mahony, born in Cork in either 1811 or 1817, is best known for his sparse and harrowing illustrations of the Great Famine for The Illustrated London News where he was an artist and a reporter for many years. He worked with oil and watercolour and his illustrations were admired by, among others, Vincent van Gogh.  In 1841 he helped to establish the Cork Art Union and exhibited paintings of Italian views, architectural subjects and scenes from Shakespeare. In 1846 one of his engravings was presented to Queen Victoria.
    The venue for Whyte’s art auction is the Minerva Suite of the RDS.  The sale includes work by Charles Jervas, Thomas Hickey, Aloysius O’Kelly, Sir William Orpen, Sir John Lavery, Percy French, Mainie Jellett,  Gerard Dillon, Norah McGuinness, John Shinnors, Rowan Gillespie and Edward Delaney.

    Tags: , , ,
    Posted in ART, AUCTIONS | Comments Off on HISTORIC CORK PAINTING AT WHYTE’S ART AUCTION