Sir William Orpen R.A., R.H.A. (1878-1931)

Erin; an illustrated letter to Grace Orpen, the artist's wife

Details

Sir William Orpen R.A., R.H.A. (1878-1931)
Erin; an illustrated letter to Grace Orpen, the artist's wife
inscribed, 'My dearest wife - I have spent so long doing this romantic/drawing - that it is just time in me to give my/letter up - anyway there is no particular news - I/am going to the Tivoli with Sinclair and Starkey after/the school and if late will sleep at the Kilworth/perhaps I had better explain the drawing/the figure on the right is Erin.that sad disconsolate/lady - but her sorrow is nearly over one/on left/has taken her by the arm and is leading her'
pen and black ink on Metropolitan School of Art paper, unframed
13 x 8 in. (33 x 20.3 cm.)

Provenance

The Artist's family.

Lot Essay

In the present work Orpen depicts himself leading the Old Lady of Erin to brighter and better things. It would have appealed to Orpen's sense of humour to use mythological imagery to parody the Celtic Revival, a factor which he considered detrimental to the development of Irish art.

The friends that he mentions are William Sinclair (see lot 183) and 'Starkey', the poet Shamus O'Sullivan.

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