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  • Posts Tagged ‘Sir William Orpen’

    IMPORTANT IRISH ART AT JAMES ADAM

    Sunday, February 26th, 2023
    Sir William Orpen RA RHA (1878 – 1931) – Portrait of Yvonne Aupicq as a Nun (Sister X) UPDATE: THIS MADE 125,000 AT HAMMER

    She was his lover and his model and Sir William Orpen kept this portrait of Yvonne Aupicq as a nun in his own collection. It comes up as lot 61 at the James Adam sale of Important Irish Art in Dublin on March 1 with an estimate of €30,000-€50,000. Adams understand that Yvonne had met Orpen while working as a nurse during the war. He had been admitted to hospital with a suspected case of scabies which ended up being a far more serious case of blood poisoning as he recounts in his wartime memoir ‘An Onlooker in France’.  Their relationship continued after 1918 when Orpen was appointed as the official artist to The Paris Peace Conference.  He gifted to her another version of this portrait with Yvonne set against a completely white background.

    ORPEN PORTRAIT AT FONSIE MEALY ART SALE

    Monday, March 14th, 2022

    This 1904 portrait of James Hugh Smith-Barry by Sir William Orpen comes up as lot 123 at Fonsie Mealy’s sale of Irish and international art on March 23.  Closely associated with Barryscourt Castle and the Fota estate in Cork the Barry family were prominent from Anglo-Norman times.  With the death in 1823 of the 8th Earl of Barrymore the title became extinct.  It was revived in 1902 when Arthur Hugh Smith-Barry was created Baron Barrymore.  He commissioned Orpen to paint a posthumous portrait of his father to be hung at Fota with the Barry ancestors. It was based on a pastel sketch made in 1854 by James Rannie Swinton. The estimate is €20,000-€30,000. UPDATE: THIS MADE 19,000 AT HAMMER

    AN ORPEN AT DOLAN’S TIMED ONLINE AUCTION

    Sunday, November 28th, 2021
    SIR WILLIAM ORPEN – THE ROSCOMMON FUSILIER. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    Among the lots at Dolans auction on November 29 are a drawing by Sir William Orpen of The Roscommon Fusilier. The drawing depicts a young woman, with hand on hip, wearing a militia uniform, complete with military hat and plume. It is sketched on ‘Metropolitan School of Art, Kildare Street, Dublin’ paper. Orpen taught there in the early years of the 20th century. The sitter was Vera Hone and it is estimated at 9,000-12,500. A charcoal study of The Men of Aran by Sean Keating is estimated at 16,000-20,000. UPDATE: THE KEATING MADE €16,000 AT HAMMER.

    The timed online sale features a selection of fine Irish whiskeys as well as antique furniture, silver and rugs.

    AFTER THE BALL BY ORPEN AT DE VERES

    Wednesday, November 10th, 2021

    Here is a video on After the Ball by Sir William Orpen, one of the highlights at de Veres sale of Outstanding Irish Art in Dublin on November 23. UPDATE: THIS MADE 310,000

    AN ORPEN INTERIOR AT SOTHEBY’S

    Monday, June 14th, 2021

    Interior by Sir William Orpen comes up as Lot 268 at Sotheby’s Modern and Post War British Art day sale in London from June 23-30. One of a group of exceptional interior paintings begun at 21 Fitzroy St., London in 1899-1901 it is estimated at £40,000-60,000. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES AT WHYTE’S SALE

    Friday, March 1st, 2019

    Whyte’s evening auction of Irish & International art at the RDS on March 4 promises to deliver another exciting opportunity for collectors to acquire rare artworks.  Viewing is from 10 am to 6 pm each day from March 2. The catalogue is online. Here is a small selection:

    UPDATE:  Just under 90% of lots sold with a gross total of 1.25 million.  The highest price paid was €150,000 for a Jack Yeats 14 by 18 inches oil, titled “Justice”. A smaller Yeats oil – “A Passage is Required”, 9 by 14 inches, took a winning bid of €115,000. Both went to collectors in Dublin. A very large oil by James Humbert Craig, which was painted for the Empire Marketing Board in the 1920s for use on a poster promoting the linen industry, well exceeded its pre-sale estimate of €20,000 to €30,000, going to a Dublin collector who outbid a Northern Ireland institution at €54,000.

    (See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for February 24 and February 13,  2019)

    TONY O’MALLEY HRHA (1913-2003) – Abstract 1976 (6,000-8,000)  UPDATE:   THIS WAS UNSOLD

    MAINIE JELLETT (1897-1944) – Abstract Design (9,000-12,000) UPDATE: THIS MADE 15,000 AT HAMMER

    JACK BUTLER YEATS RHA (1871-1957) – At the Feis (6,000-8,000)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 5,800 AT HAMMER

    SIR WILLIAM ORPEN – Lord George Hell (25,000-35,000)  UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    WAR WORKS OF WILLIAM ORPEN AT NATIONAL GALLERY

    Saturday, December 16th, 2017
    To mark the centenary of William Orpen’s visit to France as an official war artist the National Gallery of Ireland is exhibiting some of his war works.  Serving with the British Army he recorded the aftermath of the Battle of the Somme, a lifeless wasteland, the result of prolonged trench warfare, mining and heaving bombardment.

    In his 1921 memoir An Onlooker in France the artist wrote of the horror he had experienced. Drawing on this text the exhibition  explores a selection of his aftermath paintings.  The artist Garrett Phelan was commissioned by the National Gallery to produce art in response to Orpen’s experience and has created works in sound and clay acquired directly from the Somme. Aftermath, the War Landscapes of William Orpen, runs until February 11.

    Sir William Orpen – Sketch in a desolate landscape

    Sir William Orpen – Man with a cigarette

    Sir William Orpen – Thiepval II

    RE DISCOVERED ORPEN DRAWING AT WHYTE’S

    Wednesday, September 27th, 2017

    Sir William Orpen RA RI RHA (1878-1931) ON THE HILL OF HOWTH, COUNTY DUBLIN, c.1912-14  UPDATE: THIS MADE 30,000 AT HAMMER

    A re-discovered Orpen drawing of bhemian youth features at Whyte’s evening sale of Irish and International Art at the RDS on October 2. On the Hill of Howth, Co. Dublin c1912-14 depicts a girl holding a knot of tiny flowers and stretching her right arm skywards in an attitude of abandon. From the estate of Dublin judge Desmond Windle it is estimated at 30,000-50,000.  He was a collector for over 60 years and  among the other artists in his collection in this sale are Patrick Collins, John Behan, Michael Kane, Charles Brady, Charles Harper, George Campbell and Sean McSweeney. The catalogue, which is online, lists 188 lots. Here is a small selection:

    Hughie O’Donoghue (b.1953) DUTIFUL SON, 2007/8 (6,000-8,000)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 6,000 AT HAMMER

    Charles Brady HRHA (1926-1997) SHOE BOX (2,000-3,000)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,800 AT HAMMER

    John Behan RHA (b.1938) ARCHER (3,000-5,000)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 5,200

    Patrick Collins HRHA (1910-1994) THE HAPPY PRIEST, 1965 (15,000-20,000)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 14,000

    IRISH ART SALES TO RESUME AT SOTHEBY’S

    Tuesday, June 23rd, 2015

    Sir William Orpen - Nude Girl Reading

    Sir William Orpen – Nude Girl Reading  UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    In a nod to the recovering Irish economy Sotheby’s will resume stand alone Irish art sales in London on October 21.  Highlighting that sale is  Nude Girl Reading by Sir William Orpen, described by Sotheby’s as one of his most sensational nudes.  Not on the market for 30 years, it is estimated at £300,000-500,000.  The work was painted in 1921 and the subject was Orpen’s lover Yvonne Aubicq, daughter of the mayor of Lille.  Their affair continued until 1928.

    In 1995 Sotheby’s was the first London auction house to hold sales of Irish art.  Arabella Bishop, Head of Sotheby’s Ireland, said: “Over the last couple of years, interest has increased and we have seen new collectors, not only from Ireland but internationally, actively buying and bidding in this field. We anticipate that the market for Irish art will continue to gather pace and feel that the moment is right to re-launch an annual dedicated sale. We are also thrilled to be opening our new 1,350 square-foot office in Dublin. This larger space, with excellent private viewing conditions, further cements our commitment to the Irish market.”

    In Dublin Sotheby’s will open new premises at 29 Molesworth Street on June 27, a move from the previous location at 16 Molesworth St.  Stand alone sales of Irish art have not been held at Sotheby’s since 2011.

    ORPEN’S PORTRAIT OF GLADYS COOPER MAKES 175,000 AT WHYTE’S

    Monday, May 25th, 2015

    Sir William Orpen RA RI RHA (1878-1931) GLADYS COOPER SOLD FOR 175,000

    Sir William Orpen RA RI RHA (1878-1931) GLADYS COOPER SOLD FOR 175,000

    Sir William Orpen’s penetrating portrait of the English Academy Award nominated actress Gladys Cooper sold for a hammer price of 175,000 at Whyte’s in Dublin this evening. Painted in 1924 had been estimated at 80,000-120,000.

    Sir John Lavery RA RSA RHA (1856-1941) A BACCHANTE, 1910 sold for 135,000 at hammer.

    Sir John Lavery RA RSA RHA (1856-1941) A BACCHANTE, 1910 sold for 135,000 at hammer.

    This continues the trend established at the previous Whyte’s auction where many lots sold above the high estimate and where internet bidders competed from around the world for the best of Irish art.  After a prolonged period in the doldrums the market for the best of Irish art is once again on the rise.

    At the same sale Sir John Lavery’s A Bacchante sold for an above estimate hammer price of 135,000 at hammer. Painted in 1910 it had been estimated at 60,000-80,000.  It had been exhibited at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters in London in that year as Mrs. Ralph Peto.

    Whyte’s md Ian Whyte said the sale:  “Produced the best results for us since 2008”.  The auction grossed just over one million euro and was 85% sold.  There was significant interest from outside Ireland and but Irish collectors and dealers were active too.  About 70% went to Irish clients.

    (See post on antiquesandartireland.com for May 15, 2015)