Child with a Green Background

Belonging to the Family Series, also known as the artist's 'Grey Period', the present work is contemporary with Child in a Yard, 1954 (Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin) and Child Alone, 1954 (on loan to the National Gallery of Ireland). It is a rare example of a small group of paintings of children that spring from the central work, A Family, 1951 which won the artist a major international prize at the Venice Biennale in 1956. A related painting from 1951, Man Writing (private collection), was sold by Christie's, London, 21 May 1997, lot 95 (£133,500).