Mildred Anne Butler Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Mildred Anne Butler Art Value Price Guide

Aug. 12, 2026
Kilkenny Interest: Large collection (c. 30) varied books and pamphlets rela
Est: €50 - €80
Kilkenny Interest: Large collection (c. 30) varied books and pamphlets relating to Co. Kilkenny, including Pat Walsh Memorial Dunnamaggin (1989); Kells Creamery 1989-1998); St Fiacres National School, Sheastown 1878-1966 (Eamon Cody, 1998); Henry Flood Aiste Eolais ar a Shaol is a Shaothar (Seamus Puirseil, 1968); Mildred Anne Butler 1858-1941 Exhibition Catalogue (Anne Crookshank & the Knight of Glin, 1981)
Purcell Auctioneers
Jun. 10, 2026
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER RA RWS (1858 - 1941)
Est: €800 - €1,200
Title: A View of Kilmurry House from the Lake Medium: Watercolour Signature: Signed Lower Right Provenance: Private Collection Framed:
Sheppards
Jun. 10, 2026
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER RA RWS (1858 - 1941)
Est: €1,200 - €1,500
Title: Study of Cattle, Kilmurry (1882) Medium: Watercolour (Second Image Verso) Signature: Signed, Dated and Inscribed Provenance: The Artist's Sketchbook; Private Collection Framed
Sheppards
Jun. 10, 2026
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER RA RWS (1858 - 1941)
Est: €2,000 - €3,000
Title: The Thaw Medium: Watercolour Signature: Signed Lower Right and Inscribed on Artist's Label Verso Provenance: The Artist's Studio, Kilmurry House, Co. Kilkenny (Artist's Label Verso); Combridge Art Gallery (Later, Combridge Fine Art), Grafton Street, Dublin (Framing Label Verso); Private Collection Framed
Sheppards
Jun. 10, 2026
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER RA RWS (1858 - 1941)
Est: €2,000 - €3,000
Title: The Church Steeple Medium: Watercolour Signature: Signed Lower Right Provenance: Private Collection Framed
Sheppards
Jun. 10, 2026
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER RA RWS (1858 - 1941)
Est: €3,500 - €5,500
Title: Summer in the Garden, Kilmurry (1900) Medium: Watercolour Signature: Signed and Dated Lower Right Provenance: Private Collection Framed
Sheppards
Jun. 10, 2026
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER RA RWS (1858 - 1941)
Est: €1,200 - €1,500
Title: Study of Cattle (1883) Medium: Watercolour (Second Image Verso) Signature: Unsigned; Dated Upper Left Provenance: The Artist's Sketchbook; Private Collection Framed
Sheppards
May. 27, 2026
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) Cattle grazing, Kilmurry Oil on canvas, 66 x 96.5cm (26 x 38'') Signed and dated indistinctly Provenance: With Val Dillon mid 1980s, from whom acquired by the present owner The Georgian walls and id
Est: €8,000 - €12,000
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) Cattle grazing, Kilmurry Oil on canvas, 66 x 96.5cm (26 x 38'') Signed and dated indistinctly Provenance: With Val Dillon mid 1980s, from whom acquired by the present owner The Georgian walls and idyllic gardens of Kilmurry House outside Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny have been faithfully recorded in watercolour countless times by its resident artist Mildred Anne Butler. The artist’s father, Captain Henry Butler, bought the estate from the Bushe family in the 1840s and the young family led what appears to be charmed lives in its abundant walled gardens and unspoilt estate grounds, as evidenced by the astonishing number of watercolours completed by Butler throughout her lifetime. Mildred outlived her older siblings and with no further family she inherited the estate where she continued to live for the rest of her life. The young artist, being of considerable privileged upbringing, benefited immensely from the opportunity to attend classes under the Guernsey-born draughtsman and watercolourist Paul Jacob Naftel RWS (1817-1891). She continued to credit her time with Naftel as crucially inspirational, and his influence can be seen throughout her oeuvre. Butler’s predilection towards animal painting as seen here was likely galvanised by her time studying in the studio of William Frank Calderon (1865-1943) who is known for his animal portraiture and hunting scenes. Butler spent a significant amount of time in Cornwall painting with the Newlyn School of Art – no doubt employing the plein-air approach to painting as well as a preoccupation with light, similar to the Barbizon School in France. Butler enjoyed painting from life and often used photography and taxidermy to aid her animal studies when plein-air painting didn’t allow her enough accuracy. Her approach to animal painting is therefore imbued with an innate understanding of the physiology and anatomy of her subjects and yet a lightness of touch that rejects sentimentality. Butler’s paintings are no saccharine, watery spectacle of the rural idyll. They are preoccupied with depth, atmosphere and at times evoke a sense of strange, best evidenced by her studies of crows in flight for which she is well known. ‘‘The young lady knows how to look at her subjects with the eyes of a well trained artist; she can make good pictures out of simple and indeed trivial material; and all her …[…]… contributions are extremely interesting and even beautiful; although there is not a shred of story, anecdote, incident or an atom of pathos beyond that which always attends really artistic representations of homely nature… these pictures command attention by the massing and breadth of chiaroscuro, and the solid way in which they have been handled’’ Critical Response, Atheneum, 5th May 1897 The painting of cattle grazing here presented is an exceptionally rare and large example of an oil painting by the artist. It presents the critical viewer with the opportunity to appreciate the extent of Butler’s ability to conjure atmosphere in a different medium. The broad slick strokes of the paddock’s coniferous foliage is deftly punctuated by soft mauves, pinks, warm greys and indigo to create a sense of distance and also movement. We are struck by the ‘Irishness’ of the day, a clouded patch of sky peaks out from downswept branches of the trees. The cattle lead our eyes instinctively towards it, their necks each bent towards the clearing encouraging the viewer to follow this trajectory. The artist’s choice to exclude the skyline here is an unusual one which lends the scene a faintly eldritch atmosphere, so different to the familiar rustic pastoral scene it could have easily been. The resulting picture benefits from her experience as a watercolourist and ensuing ability to create depth and shadow with a delicate touch. Note the absence of black in this composition. Butler has found other means of creating shadow through a combination of burnt umber, indigo, mauve and olive hues, masterfully manipulated to create alternative tonal values without relying on black. This is a typical approach of watercolour painters as it commonly believed that black lacks vibrancy and can flatten the scene if not used cautiously. Certainly, Butler rarely used it except in her scenes of crows and magpies where the black flutter of birds creates striking contrast against the skeletal boughs of a winter landscape. ‘Cattle Grazing, Kilmurry’ offers the viewer a very rare opportunity to examine Butler’s painterly approach in a different medium and benefits immensely from Butler’s extensive experience as a watercolourist. Mildred Anne Butler maintained a level of critical and popular recognition throughout her lifetime, exhibiting consistently with the ‘Irish Fine Arts Society of Ireland’ from 1882 (later the ‘Watercolour Society of Ireland’) and also exhibited with the RHA, the RA, The Ulster Academy and The Royal Watercolour Society. The apex of her career was the purchase of her painting ’The Morning Bath’ by the Chantrey Bequest Fund for the British Nation in 1896 - an honour shared with Sir John Everett Millais, J. W. Waterhouse, Sir F. Leighton Bart PRA and John Singer Sargent. After the artists’ passing in 1941 the Kilmurry Estate was bequeathed to a distant cousin - equestrian expert Doreen Archer-Houblon (1899-1977). The latter enjoyed the estate for the remainder of her life. It was a few years later that the artist’s studio contents was revealed publicly in a landmark sale at Christie’s in October, 1981. The extent of the artist’s private meditative depictions of Kilmurry captured the imagination of a modern, post-war public, only too eager to acknowledge the beauty of an unspoiled Irish landscape once more. Stephanie Brennan, April 2026
Adam's
May. 13, 2026
Irish Art: Pauline Bewick- The South Seas & A Box of Paints; 8 titles from
Est: €50 - €80
Irish Art: Pauline Bewick- The South Seas & A Box of Paints; 8 titles from The Lives of Irish Artists series, published by Town House in Dublin during the early 1990s, includes key biographies such as Mildred Anne Butler 1858-1941 by Anne Crookshank, Roderic O'Conor 1860-1940 by Paula Murphy, and Nathaniel Hone the Elder 1718-1784 by Adrian Le Harivel plus 9 others (19)
Purcell Auctioneers
May. 11, 2026
Mildred Anne Butler (1958-1941) Spring Timegesigneerd en gedateerd Mildred A. Butler, april 1890 rec
Est: €400 - €600
Mildred Anne Butler (1958-1941) Spring Timegesigneerd en gedateerd Mildred A. Butler, april 1890 rechtsonderaquarel12 x 16,5 cm.
Veilinghuis Van Spengen
Apr. 08, 2026
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER (1858-1941) 'Edwardian Afternoon' watercolour signed gallery labels verso 21 x 24.5cm
Est: £100 - £200
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER (1858-1941) 'Edwardian Afternoon' watercolour signed gallery labels verso 21 x 24.5cm
John Nicholson's Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers
Mar. 09, 2026
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) DAFFODILS
Est: €2,000 - €3,000
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) DAFFODILS watercolour h:14.50 w:11 in. From the same collection as Lot 9.
Whyte's
Mar. 09, 2026
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) TREES WITH CROWS
Est: €2,000 - €3,000
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) TREES WITH CROWS watercolour signed lower left h:10.50 w:6.50 in. An example of the same subject can be found in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, titled Shades of Evening, 1904 (NGI.7953) purchased by the NGI in 1981. Butler was born in 1858, and resided for most of her life at her family home – Kilmurry in Co. Kilkenny. The rural, idyllic setting of the estate would inspire Butler throughout her career. In 1884 she first exhibited two watercolours at the Irish Fine Art Society exhibition in Cork. In the following year she travelled to France, Switzerland and Italy, where she sketched tirelessly. She then went to London where she studied under Paul Jacob Naftel. In 1888 her work appeared at the Dudley Gallery, London and she began to exhibit at the Watercolour Society of Ireland in 1892. Her work soon entered the Royal collection when it was included in a book of watercolours presented to Princess May by the Society of Lady Artists on the occasion of her marriage to the Duke of York. Beginning in 1891 Butler participated in five RHA exhibitions. She was also one of the first nine academicians elected to the Ulster Academy of Arts in 1930. During the 1890s Butler followed the example of many of her contemporaries and travelled to Newlyn, Cornwall with her fellow artist May Guinness. Both artists studied under Norman Garstin. The Morning Bath exhibited in the Royal Academy exhibition in 1896 was very well-received and was purchased by the Chantrey Bequest – this was a rare honour for a female artist. Butler mainly exhibited in England throughout her career, however the Irish countryside was the main inspiration for many of her works. The artist painted little in the final years of her life. She died in 1941. In the 1970s some works from her private collection were sold in Christie’s in London. Following the sale a retrospective was held in Kilkenny and Dublin. Works by Mildred Anne Butler can be found in public collections throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom, including the Tate Gallery, London and National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin.
Whyte's
Feb. 26, 2026
Mildred Anne Butler RA, RWS (1858-1941)
Est: £600 - £800
Mildred Anne Butler RA, RWS (1858-1941) Landscape with crows signed 'Mildred A. Butler' (lower right) watercolour 12 x 18cm
Cheffins
Feb. 24, 2026
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER RA RWS (1858 - 1941)
Est: €2,500 - €3,500
Title: An Irish Cottage Medium: Watercolour Signature: Unsigned Provenance: The Artist's Studio Sale, Christie's, London, October, 1981; DeVeres, 20 November 2001, Lot 229; Private Collection Exhibited: Mildred Anne Butler - Crawford Municipal Art Gallery (Crawford Art Gallery), Cork, August 1987, Catalogue No. 36 (Label Verso); Mildred Anne Butler Exhibition - Ulster Museum, Belfast, 29 April - 12 June, 1988 (Label Verso) Framed PICTURES AND PRINTS Tuesday 24th February 2026 20:09:36
Sheppards
Feb. 24, 2026
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER RA RWS (1858 - 1941)
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
Title: The Garden at Kilmurry Medium: Watercolour Signature: Signed Lower Left Provenance: Private Collection Framed PICTURES AND PRINTS Tuesday 24th February 2026 19:45:36
Sheppards
Dec. 11, 2025
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER RA RWS (1858 - 1941)
Est: €1,500 - €2,500
Title: Study of a Cow, Kilmurry Medium: Watercolour (Second Image Verso) Signature: Signed with Monogram Lower Right Provenance: Private Collection Framed A delicate double-sided watercolour study showing a reclining cow in a lightly wooded landscape. Executed with Butler’s characteristic sensitivity to rural subjects and gentle, economical brushwork. Initialled bottom right and titled “Kilmurry” bottom left. Presented in a gilt frame with double mount. PICTURES AND PRINTS Thursday 11th December 2025 20:48:00
Sheppards
Dec. 11, 2025
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER (1858 - 1941)
Est: €1,500 - €2,500
Title: Cattle Resting, Kilmurry (1923) Medium: Watercolour (Second Image Verso) Signature: Signed with Monogram and Dated Lower Right Provenance: Private Collection Framed A double-sided watercolour depicting a group of cattle resting in an open meadow below lightly wooded slopes, rendered in Butler’s distinctive soft palette and sensitive draughtsmanship. Inscribed “Kilmurry” and dated 1923 bottom right. Housed in a gilt frame with double mount. PICTURES AND PRINTS Thursday 11th December 2025 20:40:32
Sheppards
Dec. 11, 2025
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER RA RWS (1858 - 1941)
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
Title: Across the fields (1897) Medium: Watercolour Signature: Signed Lower left and Dated Lower Right Provenance: William Rodman & Co, Belfast (Label Verso); Private Collection Framed Watercolour landscape depicting a sunlit rural scene with wildflowers and rolling fields, painted with Butler’s characteristic freshness and delicate naturalism. Presented in a gilt frame with decorative moulding. PICTURES AND PRINTS Thursday 11th December 2025 19:10:00
Sheppards
Dec. 01, 2025
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) FARMHOUSE AND DUCKS
Est: €1,500 - €2,000
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) FARMHOUSE AND DUCKS watercolour signed lower right h:10 w:13 in.
Whyte's
Oct. 22, 2025
Mildred Anne Butler (1858-1941) A pathway in summer, signed, watercolour, 25 x 35cm
Est: £1,500 - £2,500
Mildred Anne Butler (1858-1941) A pathway in summer, signed, watercolour, 25 x 35cm
Mallams
Oct. 07, 2025
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER RA RWS (1858 - 1941)
Est: €400 - €600
Title: Donkey Medium: Pencil sketch Signature: Signed Lower Right Provenance: Private Collection Framed Lot Description: A pencil drawing by Irish artist Mildred Anne Butler RWS, depicting a donkey in a lightly sketched rural setting, surrounded by handwritten notations. A charming example of Butler’s sensitive approach to animal studies, combining accurate observation with an informal immediacy. Mounted and presented in a gilt frame. PICTURES AND PRINTS Tuesday 7th October 2025 14:49:08
Sheppards
Sep. 16, 2025
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER RA RWS (1858 - 1941)
Est: €3,500 - €5,500
Title: Still Life - Primroses Medium: Watercolour Signature: Signed Lower Left Provenance: Private Collection Framed Lot Description: A delicately painted watercolour by Mildred Anne Butler, titled Still Life with Primroses. The composition features a soft-hued ceramic jug adorned with blue decoration, filled with pale yellow and dusky red primroses. A few blossoms rest gently on the table, their petals rendered with botanical precision. Butler’s signature mastery of light and natural form shines through in this intimate study. Signed lower left and presented in a classic frame with grey mount under glass. PICTURES AND PRINTS Tuesday 16th September 2025 21:03:20
Sheppards
Sep. 16, 2025
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER RA RWS (1858 - 1941)
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Title: Coastal Path Medium: Watercolour Signature: Signed Lower Right Provenance: Private Collection Note: Enclosed in an original Guy and Co. Frame (Framing Label Verso) (Famous Cork City Framers and Publishers who operated in 70 Patrick Street from the 1870s to 1930s) Framed Lot Description: A delicate and atmospheric watercolour by Mildred Anne Butler, titled Coastal Path. The composition captures a serene cliffside path overlooking the sea, bordered by wild grasses and windswept trees. Soft pastel tones and fluid brushwork evoke the gentle light and fresh air of the coast, typical of Butler’s refined naturalistic style. Signed lower right and presented in a gilt frame with textured gold mount under glass. PICTURES AND PRINTS Tuesday 16th September 2025 20:38:20
Sheppards
Sep. 16, 2025
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER RWS (1858 - 1941)
Est: €600 - €900
Title: Donkeys, Tramore, Co. Waterford (1884) Medium: Pencil and Charcoal Signature: Signed Lower Right and Inscribed Lower Right Provenance: Private Collection Framed Lot Description: Pencil drawing of two donkeys standing together, executed with sensitive line work and subtle shading. Signed with initials “M.A.B.” lower left and inscribed with location and date to the right. Presented in a mounted and glazed frame. PICTURES AND PRINTS Tuesday 16th September 2025 18:31:40
Sheppards
May. 28, 2025
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) The Back of the Storm (1895) Watercolour, 30 x 25cm (12 x 10) Signed, inscribed 'Kenmare' and dated 1895 lower left
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) The Back of the Storm (1895) Watercolour, 30 x 25cm (12 x 10) Signed, inscribed 'Kenmare' and dated 1895 lower left
Adam's
May. 28, 2025
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) Across the Fields (1897) Watercolour, 25 x 17cm (10 x 7) Signed with initials lower left and dated 'October 9th (18)'87' lower right
Est: €2,000 - €4,000
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) Across the Fields (1897) Watercolour, 25 x 17cm (10 x 7) Signed with initials lower left and dated 'October 9th (18)'87' lower right
Adam's
May. 28, 2025
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) Cattle Taking Shade Watercolour, 12 x 16.5cm (4¾ x 6½) Signed
Est: €1,500 - €2,000
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) Cattle Taking Shade Watercolour, 12 x 16.5cm (4¾ x 6½) Signed
Adam's
May. 28, 2025
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) Kilmurry (1893) Watercolour, 37 x 26.5cm (14 x 10½) Signed, inscribed and dated Aug 28 / '93
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) Kilmurry (1893) Watercolour, 37 x 26.5cm (14 x 10½) Signed, inscribed and dated Aug 28 / '93
Adam's
May. 28, 2025
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) Herbaceous Border at Kilmurry Watercolour, 36 x 10cm (14½ x 10½) Signed
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) Herbaceous Border at Kilmurry Watercolour, 36 x 10cm (14½ x 10½) Signed
Adam's
May. 26, 2025
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) DOLCE FAR NIENTE, 1893
Est: €8,000 - €12,000
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) DOLCE FAR NIENTE, 1893 watercolour signed lower left; signed and inscribed on reverse (concealed by frame) h:20.50 w:28.25 in. Provenance: Gorry Gallery, Dublin, 2000; Private collection Exhibited: Water Colour Society of Ireland, Dublin, 1893, catalogue no. 247; 'An Exhibition of 18th, 19th and 20th Century Paintings', Gorry Gallery, Dublin, 2-10 November 2000, catalogue no. 53 Dolce Far Niente was exhibited at the Watercolour Society of Ireland (WCSI) in 1893, Butler's second year submitting work there. It was one of thirteen pictures included by her that year and priced at £30-0-0, it was the most expensive watercolour she had shown with the society to date. A number of her watercolours from the early 1890s were included in the National Gallery of Ireland's (NGI) recent celebration of Mildred Anne Butler's work - At Home in Nature, 14 September to 5 January 2025 - among them, three large scale exhibition paintings with equally playful titles; The High Court Justice (exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1892), The Valiant Three (RA, 1894) and Green-Eyed Jealousy (RA, 1894). Dolce Far Niente, meaning "the sweetness of doing nothing, sweet idleness" in Italian, depicts two cows one lying down and the other standing among a bed of daffodils neither doing very much but 'being' in the landscape. The charming scene is still and meditative, and Butler's handling of the medium expertly communicates a hazy spring day in the Irish countryside. The tranquility of the scene is further emphasised by a rook - another favoured subject - perched high in the tree in the middle distance, a nod to her future masterpiece Shades of Evening, 1904 (Collection of the NGI). Butler's oeuvre took inspiration from the natural world which surrounded her home, Kilmurry House - a Georgian manor on 350 acres - purchased by her father, the grandson of the 11th Viscount Mountgarret, Captain Henry Butler, in the late 1800s. Butler lived in Kilmurry until her death at the age of 83, its orangery used by her as a studio to record all that surrounded her. Having such a privileged background, one could understand a woman of her means indulging in sweet idleness, however Mildred Anne Butler's talent and ambition lead her instead to become one the Ireland's first professional women artists, a title championed by the NGI in their recent show. She was a regular exhibitor with the WCSI, the RHA, the Society of Lady Artists, the RA, the Royal Watercolour Society, Dudley Gallery, London and the Ulster Academy of Arts, Belfast. In 1893 when Dolce Far Niente was painted her work entered the Royal Collection for the first time; this would be a pivotal moment in her career as an artist cementing her reputation and bolstering demand for her work both in Ireland and abroad. Adelle Hughes April 2025
Whyte's
Dec. 04, 2024
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) Peacocks Watercolour, 23 x 34cm (9 x 13¼'') Signed
Est: €2,000 - €3,000
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) Peacocks Watercolour, 23 x 34cm (9 x 13¼'') Signed
Adam's
Nov. 19, 2024
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER, R.A., R.W.S. (1858-1941). Unpacking the picnic, on a h
Est: £1,500 - £2,500
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER, R.A., R.W.S. (1858-1941). Unpacking the picnic, on a hillside, Kerry. watercolour, heightened with touches of white on paper 7 x 10 in. (18 x 25 cm.).
Christie's
Oct. 09, 2024
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER, RWS, IRISH 1858-1941, CROWS IN A TREE, Graphite on paper, Sight: 11 1/4 x 9 1/2 in. (28.6 x 24.1 cm.), Frame: 18 3/4 x 16 1/4 in. (47.6 x 41.3 cm.)
Est: $500 - $700
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER, RWS IRISH, 1858-1941 CROWS IN A TREE Graphite on paper
Potomack Company
Sep. 30, 2024
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) POPPIES
Est: €6,000 - €8,000
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) POPPIES watercolour signed lower right h:10.50 w:15 in.
Whyte's
Sep. 30, 2024
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) WATER PARTY, KILMURRY, 1891-2
Est: €15,000 - €20,000
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) WATER PARTY, KILMURRY, 1891-2 watercolour heightened with white signed and titled lower left; dated lower right h:20.50 w:14 in. The National Gallery of Ireland will highlight the work of Mildred Anne Butler (MAB) this year with an exhibition titled At Home in Nature (14 September 2024 to 5 January 2025) describing her as "one of Ireland's first professional women artists, who exhibited widely and sold her work well throughout her career."(1) Water Party, Kilmurry, 1891-2 is a large, early exhibition painting by MAB shown at the Watercolour Society of Ireland in 1893; the artist's second year of submitting work there. Over the course of her career she would show more than 200 works with that society alone, the majority, like this example, taking inspiration from her home in Kilmurry, outside Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny. Kilmurry House - a Palladian style Georgian manor on 350 acres - was purchased by the grandson of the 11th Viscount Mountgarret, Captain Henry Butler, Mildred Anne's father, in the late 1800s and remained in the family until 1981. Mildred Anne lived in Kilmurry until her death at the age of 83, its orangery used by her as a studio and the gardens, their flora and fauna, providing a constant stream of inspiration as can be seen in the present work. MAB began exhibiting in her mid-twenties, the Irish Fine Art Society exhibition in Cork records two watercolours by her in 1884. The following year she travelled to Europe, painting throughout this time, and later she went to London in the company of fellow artist Rose Barton where she studied under Paul Jacob Naftel. It was under Naftel's instruction that she began working en plein air and taking inspiration from the natural world. In 1888 her work appeared at the Dudley Gallery, London, and, beginning in 1891, she participated in five exhibitions at the RHA. During the 1890s Butler followed the example of many of her Irish contemporaries travelling to Newlyn, Cornwall in the company of fellow artist May Guinness; studying there under Norman Garstin. In 1896, Butler's Morning Bath was shown at the Royal Academy, London and was at that time only the second work by a female artist to be acquired by the trustees of the Chantrey Bequest and presented to the Tate where it remains today. This prestigious acquisition boosted her profile considerably among her contemporaries and patrons alike in Ireland and abroad. Her work entered the Royal Collection for the first time in 1893, when it was included in a book of watercolours presented to Princess Mary of Teck by the Society of Lady Artists on the occasion of her marriage to the future king George V, and later in 1902 as part of a portfolio gifted to Edward VII from the RWS upon his coronation among other instances. She was also one of the first nine academicians elected to the Ulster Academy of Arts in 1930. She became an associate member of the Royal Watercolour Society in 1896 and full membership was granted in 1937; four years before her death. In 1981 - with the sale of Kilmurry - the contents of the artist's studio were auctioned, sparking renewed interest in her work; a retrospective followed in Kilkenny and Dublin. This portrait view of swans in a pond at Kilmurry is an outstanding example by an artist on the cusp of her prime and it would have represented a shrewd purchase in 1893 just before her work was acquired by the Royal family and demand for her paintings increased considerably. 130 years later and had its whereabouts been known, A Water Party would have been perfectly "at home" in the National Gallery's forthcoming celebration of her work. Adelle Hughes, September 2024 1. https://www.nationalgallery.ie/art-and-artists/exhibitions/upcoming-exhibitions/mildred-anne-butler-at-home-in-nature For further reading see: Irish Arts Review Vol 41 (3) Autumn 2024, Holding Her Own by Tom Duffy
Whyte's
Sep. 30, 2024
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) SHEEP IN A MEADOW
Est: €1,500 - €2,000
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) SHEEP IN A MEADOW watercolour h:5.50 w:7.50 in.
Whyte's
Sep. 20, 2024
Mildred Anne Butler "Summer's Green Mantle", 1906, watercolor on board
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Mildred Anne Butler (Irish, 1858-1941), "Summer's Green Mantle", 1906, watercolor on board, signed lower left, signed, titled, dated and inscribed en verso, 10 3/8 in. x 14 3/8 in., framed, overall 16 7/8 in. x 20 3/8 in. x 3/4 in.
Neal Auction Company
Jul. 16, 2024
MILDRED ANN BUTLER (R.W.S) (R.U.A) (1858-1941)
Est: €300 - €350
Donkey study. Initialled pencil sketch. Image: 9 x 13 cm. Framed: 28 x 30 cm. PICTURES AND PRINTS 11:33:10
Sheppards
May. 29, 2024
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) Winter Trees, Kilmurry Watercolour, 39 x 34.5cm (15¼ x 13½)
Est: €1,000 - €2,000
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) Winter Trees, Kilmurry Watercolour, 39 x 34.5cm (15¼ x 13½)
Adam's
Mar. 27, 2024
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) The Woods in Springtime, 1929 Watercolour, 35.5 x 53.5cm (14 x 21) Signed
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) The Woods in Springtime, 1929 Watercolour, 35.5 x 53.5cm (14 x 21) Signed
Adam's
Feb. 21, 2024
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER (IRISH 1858-1941), PEACOCKS
Est: £2,000 - £3,000
MILDRED ANNE BUTLER (IRISH 1858-1941)PEACOCKSWatercolourSigned (lower right)26.5 x 35.5cm (10¼ x 13¾ in.)
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Jan. 30, 2024
Mildred Anne Butler (1858 - 1941) United Kingdon/Ireland/France
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Mildred Anne Butler (1858 - 1941) Watercolor on paper, Signed Lower Left, Measures (11 x 8.5 inches) w/frame (17.5 x 14.5 inches) The Irish landscape painter Mildred Anne Butler was born and spent most of her life in the family home, Kilmurry in Thomastown, County Kilkenny. Butler's work often depicts the birds and animals native to the gardens and country landscapes around her Kilmurry home. As it happened, she outlived all her five brothers and sisters and inherited the family house. In the early 1880s, she traveled to Brussels and Paris where she studied drawing, and fine art painting alongside contemporaries such as Walter Osborne and John Lavery, and spent some time in London working under Paul Jacob Naftel, whom she later claimed had given her a profound understanding of the art of watercolour painting. Her French training was considered highly unconventional in British art circles; London's Royal Academy refused to exhibit artists who painted in the French style,
Cutler Bay Auctions
Dec. 14, 2023
Mildred Anne Butler (1858 - 1941) United Kingdom/Ireland/France
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
Mildred Anne Butler (1858 - 1941) Oil on Board, Signed, Measures (6 x 9 inches) w/frame (10 x 13 inches) The Irish landscape painter Mildred Anne Butler was born and spent most of her life in the family home, Kilmurry in Thomastown, County Kilkenny. Butler's work often depicts the birds and animals native to the gardens and country landscapes around her Kilmurry home. As it happened, she outlived all her five brothers and sisters and inherited the family house. In the early 1880s, she traveled to Brussels and Paris where she studied drawing, and fine art painting alongside contemporaries such as Walter Osborne and John Lavery, and spent some time in London working under Paul Jacob Naftel, whom she later claimed had given her a profound understanding of the art of watercolour painting. Her French training was considered highly unconventional in British art circles; London's Royal Academy refused to exhibit artists who painted in the French style, and any young painters who did so were obliged to form their own society
Cutler Bay Auctions
Oct. 02, 2023
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) REAPER
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) REAPER watercolour signed lower left h:14.50 w:21 in.
Whyte's
Jul. 01, 2023
Mildred Anne Butler (1858 - 1941) Irish
Est: $800 - $1,200
Mildred Anne Butler (1858 - 1941) Watercolour on paper, Signed, Measures ( 10 x 13 inches ) w/frame ( 17.5 x 19.5 inches ) The Irish landscape painter Mildred Anne Butler was born and spent most of her life in the family home, Kilmurry in Thomastown, County Kilkenny. Butler's work often depicts the birds and animals native to the gardens and country landscapes around her Kilmurry home. As it happened, she outlived all her five brothers and sisters and inherited the family house. In the early 1880s, she traveled to Brussels and Paris where she studied drawing, and fine art painting alongside contemporaries such as Walter Osborne and John Lavery, and spent some time in London working under Paul Jacob Naftel, whom she later claimed had given her a profound understanding of the art of watercolour painting.
Cutler Bay Auctions
May. 31, 2023
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) Sheep Grazing Beneath Trees at Kilmory Watercolour, 17.5 x 23.5cm (7 x 9¼) Provenance: The Artist's Studio Exhibited: Dublin, National Gallery of Ireland; Cork, Crawford Municipal Art Gallery; Belfast, Uls
Est: €1,000 - €1,500
Mildred Anne Butler RWS (1858-1941) Sheep Grazing Beneath Trees at Kilmory Watercolour, 17.5 x 23.5cm (7 x 9¼) Provenance: The Artist's Studio Exhibited: Dublin, National Gallery of Ireland; Cork, Crawford Municipal Art Gallery; Belfast, Ulster Museum, Cat. No. 72
Adam's
May. 25, 2023
Mildred Anne Butler (1858 - 1941) Irish
Est: $2,500 - $3,500
Mildred Anne Butler (1858 - 1941) watercolour on paper, Signed, Measures ( 10 x 13 inches ) w/frame ( 17.5 x 19.5 inches ) The Irish landscape painter Mildred Anne Butler was born and spent most of her life in the family home, Kilmurry in Thomastown, County Kilkenny. Butler's work often depicts the birds and animals native to the gardens and country landscapes around her Kilmurry home. As it happened, she outlived all her five brothers and sisters and inherited the family house. In the early 1880s, she traveled to Brussels and Paris where she studied drawing, and fine art painting alongside contemporaries such as Walter Osborne and John Lavery, and spent some time in London working under Paul Jacob Naftel, whom she later claimed had given her a profound understanding of the art of watercolour painting.
Cutler Bay Auctions