Sir William Orpen KBE RA RHA, Irish 1878-1931- Portrait of Emily Scobel - a study; pencil, red chalk, and grey wash on paper, signed and dated 'Orpen 1900' (upper right), 31 x 16 cm. Provenance: The artist; by whom given to Mary 'Guinea' Price; by descent to Kathleen Fairbanks (1866-1966); and thence by descent. Anon. sale, Christie's, London, 27 May 2010, lot 91 (£7,200 hammer). Literature: The Artist, August 1901. Exhibited: London, New English Arts Club, 1900 (Orpen's first post-Slade Exhibition). Note: Irish-born Sir William Orpen was one of the most important artists working in early 20th-century Britain. The works he produced as an Official War Artist during the First World War are now considered among the most powerful depictions of war ever created. Due to various feuds with contemporaries such as Augustus John and Wyndham Lewis, Orpen’s reputation suffered after his death, and his work was rarely exhibited or written about for many years. Emily Scobel was a Slade School model, to whom Orpen was briefly engaged in his early twenties. She features in some of the artist's best known early works, notably 'The Mirror' in the Tate Gallery [N02940], in which she is wearing the same hat. This study was clearly well thought of by Orpen and his early reviewers. It was chosen to illustrate the first-ever in-depth article on Orpen, in the August 1901 edition of 'The Artist' magazine. It has a fascinating provenance, too, having remained - until its recent re-emergence - in the possession of members of the Orpen circle and their descendants. It was owned initially by Mary 'Guinea' Price, a one-time model for Orpen's contemporary Walter Sickert, and a member of the artist's close group of friends in Dieppe. It was then inherited by her niece, Kathleen Fairbanks (1866-1966), who was a long-established friend of Orpen and his companion in the latter years of the artist's life. Kathleen Fairbanks died within months of her 100th birthday and left it to a cousin, from whose widow it was purchased. In the family, it was known, somewhat Orpen-ishly, as 'The Pink Lady'.
Sir William Orpen N.E.A.C., R.A., H.R.H.A. (Irish, 1878-1931) The Swinton Family signed and dated 'William Orpen 1901' (lower right) oil on canvas 111.3 x 149.2 cm. (43 3/4 x 58 3/4 in.)
Title: Daily Mail Drawing (1928) Medium: Watercolour and Pencil Signature: Signed and Inscribed Lower Right; Dated Upper Right Provenance: Sale, Christie's, London, 11 August 1982; Pyms Gallery, London; Private Collection Framed
William Orpen, 1878 Stillorgan Irland-1931 London, Profile portrait eines bearded man, pencil on paper, signed lower right, approx. 20x15.5cm, PP, under glass, frame approx. 43x37cm . German Description: William Orpen, 1878 Stillorgan Irland-1931 London, Profilporträt eines bärtigen Mannes, Bleistift auf Papier, rechts unten signiert, ca. 20x15.5cm, PP, u.Gl., R. ca. 43x37cm
Sir William Orpen KBE RA RI RHA (1878-1931) PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG GIRL charcoal h:12.75 w:8.75 in. Provenance: Collection of Seán Keating RHA; Gifted to Anne Griffith, c.1930s; with Patrick F. Brown, Dublin; Private collection
Sir William Orpen KBE RA RI RHA (1878-1931) DANCER ON STAGE pen and wash with Pyms Gallery exhibition catalogue affixed to reverse h:7.50 w:6 in. Provenance: Pyms Gallery, Dublin; Private collection Exhibited: 'William Orpen: Early Work', Pyms Gallery, London, 20 May to 12 June 1981, catalogue no. 81
signed and inscribed indistinctly 'W Orpen' (lower left) pen & ink and wash Size:(25 x 19.5 cm. (9 7/8 x 7 5/8 in.)) Provenance:With Pyms Gallery, London
signed and inscribed 'coolness for the Neck!/is all very well but don't forget/The other parts, yours William Orpen' (lower right); further inscribed and dated 'To the Daily Mail-/30th July 1928' (upper right) watercolour and pencil Size:(24.1 x 17.3 cm. (9 1/2 x 6 3/4 in.)) Provenance:Sale; Christie’s, London, 11 August 1982 With Pyms Gallery, London
Sir William Orpen KBE RA RI RHA (1878-1931) THE REBEL (STUDY OF A MAN RECUMBENT), 1902 oil on board signed lower right; signed, titled, dated and inscribed [Dublin] on reverse h:20.50 w:31.50 in. Provenance: Sotheby's, 7 May 2008, lot 126; Private collection Exhibited: New English Art Club, London, Winter 1902, catalogue no. 51 as Study of a Man Recumbent Literature: 'Art in London', Western Daily Press, 11 November 1902, p. 3; 'Art Pencillings', The Echo, 13 November 1902, p. 1; 'New English Art Club', The Daily Telegraph, 15 November 1902, p. 7 In 1902 William Orpen returned to the Life Room. For three weeks, in the spring of that year, he found gainful employment at his alma mater, the Metropolitan School of Art in Dublin, as a teacher of anatomy. It was a subject that would become core curriculum when in January 1904 he and Augustus John opened their short-lived art school in Chelsea, and the classes would be repeated thereafter in annual summer sessions in Dublin. (1) For the artist, a commitment to a deep understanding of the human form was essential. The precocity demonstrated in his earliest exercises in figure drawing had brought him to London in the first place. In 1897, at the progressive Slade School of Fine Art, he had studied under the austere artist-surgeon, Henry Tonks, in an atelier-style pedagogy in which men and women students were treated alike. (2) Only in front of the male model in a mixed class, did modesty - in the form of a loin cloth - prevail. (3) In November 1902, however, the aura of the schoolroom hung over two canvases shown at the New English Art Club as Study of a Man Recumbent and The Rebel respectively. Although partially abraded, the present work is clearly entitled 'The Rebel' on the reverse, which enables us to clarify the relationship between the two versions of the subject. Both were 'very clever' demonstrations of the artist's 'ability', but their appeal might essentially be to the discerning art student, according to The Echo. At the same time, The Western Daily Press found all four of Orpen's contributions to the exhibition, among 'the most interesting things' in the show and it was left to The Daily Telegraph reviewer to attempt an unravelling of the studies of the 'prone, half-naked' figure. (4) Similar in size, the larger of the two was described as 'an Italian model recumbent and half-stripped' and 'ambitiously styled "The Rebel"', while the Study of a Man Recumbent, was 'more simply and appropriately styled'. 'The touch of true imaginativeness', it continued, … that might transform the studio-piece into the poetic evocation of a romantic incident is conspicuously absent. Nothing in this case transfigures the terre à terre realism. Not for the first or last time was the young artist's unflinching realism the subject of comment. Like Courbet and Manet before him, he would not pander to public taste. It was indeed the case that Orpen was setting a standard of attainment, with no overlay of false sentiment. These were after all académies in the great tradition of nineteenth century French painting, with no holds barred. Delighting in 'intense enjoyment he derived from this mastery', Orpen 'revelled', according to PG Konody, 'in the exercise of his skill, in evoking life out of a dead surface' and, he concluded, 'every stroke of the brush has its definite, expressive function in the modelling of bony and fleshy forms, in the building up of the muscular mechanism …' The title of the Crawford Art Gallery painting - The Rebel - was merely a 'cloak'. (5) It was common at the beginning of the twentieth century for painters to try to sell their art school figure studies, reworked as heroes from history and myth. Setting, costume, circumstantial detail and dramatic lighting were things to be added if the result was to appeal to collectors. (6) It was a transition that these two paintings, hung close to one another in the same show, demonstrated. Two problematic layers in the placing of the present picture within the oeuvre can now be satisfactorily addressed. It is now clear that while the Crawford Art Gallery painting has been retitled The Revolutionary, there were two versions of The Rebel, not one, and it is entirely possible that Study of a Man Recumbent, as the first 'rebel' appeared in the New English catalogue, may well have obtained its 'Man Recumbent' title at the suggestion of the selection committee as a means of distinguishing between the two. (7) When Orpen asked the model to roll on to his back and reveal his face it was thus a significant moment when the long investment in the academy was turned to account. Having taken the £5 prize for figure painting at the Slade in 1899 with A Male Figure standing to the left, he had reason to be proud. Back in the Dublin life room in 1902, the challenge was to step forward, to move on, and to find an expressive potential in the naked male that would eventually lead to St Patrick, three versions of Job and St John the Baptist and other works. (8) As The Rebel (Study of a Man Recumbent, 1902) reveals, there was inevitably, much more to it. Orpen had looked at Rembrandt, had imbibed seventeenth century Spanish Caravaggesque painting and like his brother-in-law, William Rothenstein, had a fascination for Goya. (9) This rich visual heritage glowed through the naked form in 1902. With the knowledge he had attained from looking, from seeing brushstrokes in the prone figure before him, he could do anything. It haunted him until his dying day. (10) Prof Kenneth McConkey 1. Bruce Arnold, Orpen, Mirror to an Age, 1981, (Jonathan Cape), p. 163.; for Orpen's pedagogical aids see Robert Upstone, William Orpen, Teaching the Body, 2009 (Tate Britain). 2. Orpen and Augustus John, former 'stars' of the Slade School of Fine Art, opened their Chelsea School of Art at the start of 1904, while their networks, and reputations, were growing rapidly. The school however, lasted into its second year when it was sold on; Arnold 1981, pp. 191-2; see also Emma Chambers, Student Stars at the Slade 1894-1899, Augustus John and William Orpen, 2004 (exhibition catalogue, UCL Art Collections); 3. In most early extant Orpen life studies, produced in men-only classes male genitalia are exposed. The presence of a loin cloth in The Rebel, (Study of a Man Recumbent, 1902) may, without written evidence to prove it, indicate that the present work was produced in a teaching studio with both male and female students present. 4. Orpen exhibited Study of a Man Recumbent, (no 51, the present picture), The Rebel (no 78, Crawford Art Gallery, Cork), Study of Myself (no 91, Glasgow Museums) and The Chess-Players (no 129, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford). 5. P.G. Konody and Sidney Dark, Sir William Orpen, Artist and Man, Seeley Service, London, 1932, p.158; see also Robert Upstone ed., William Orpen, Sex, Politics and Death, 2005 (Imperial War Museum & Philip Wilson Publishers), p. 19. 6. In the case of The Rebel, the muzzle of a 'shotgun' was noted as the only addition justifying its title. The discarded hat may be a later addition. 7. See Lot Essay by Orpen Research Project, Sotheby's 7 May 2008. The presence of two so visually similar works in the New English winter exhibition leaves open the question of Orpen's intention. A prone figure is approached differently when the muzzle of what was described by a contemporary reviewer as a 'shotgun', is visible by its side. 8. Two versions of St Patrick are known (Potteries Museum, Stoke-on-Trent, and unlocated) and three versions of Job (Johannesburg Art Gallery, National Gallery of Ireland and Private Collection). 9. Kenneth McConkey, 'Dark Identities, Orpen's Hispanic Repertory', The British Art Journal, vol VII, no 3, 2006-7, pp. 62-69. Upstone 2005, p. 19 referring to the Crawford Art Gallery picture, suggests that the figure may be a Paris Communard or a rebel from the 1848 Revolution, his form influenced by the pest-house figures of Baron Gros. 10. See for instance, Nude on the Rock, 1930-1 (Private Collection); Eve in the Garden of Eden, 1930-1 and Nude Female Model (Reading on the Seashore), 1930-1 (both Royal Academy of Arts, London).
SIR WILLIAM ORPEN RA (IRISH 1878-1931) STUDY FOR THE PLAY SCENE FROM HAMLET pen and ink on paper; 28 x 21.5cm; 11 x 8 1/2in (54 x 44cm; 21 1/4 x 17 1/4in framed) Executed circa 1898-1899, the present work is a preparatory sketch for Orpen's painting The Play Scene From Hamlet (act 3, scene 2 from Shakespeare's play) in which King Claudius's murder of Hamlet's father is re-enacted. As Hamlet predicts: 'The play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King'. In 1899 the finished painting, now in the collection of Houghton Hall, Norfolk, won the prize for best composition at the Slade where Orpen was a student. JRT notes 'Sketch for the figure of the left side of his 1899 painting 'The Play Scene in Hamlet', modelled by Augustus John, who is seen wearing the exaggerated Breton peg-top trousers he had made for himself by a fisherman's taylor in Yport when he, Orpen and others were staying in Vatetot in the summer of 1899.'
Sir William Orpen Irish 1878 - 1931 Portrait of Grace Orpen (née Knewstub) signed and dated lower left: Wm Orpen ‘05 colored chalk on paper sheet: 15 by 11 in.; 38 by 28 cm framed: 21 ⅝ by 19 in.; 54.9 by 48.4 cm Executed in 1905.
WILLIAM ORPEN (IRISH 1878-1931)A SKETCH OF A ORPEN ASLEEP: ALONG WITH AN ILLUSTRATED POEMPen and inkThe letter signed and inscribed 'On a Sunday morning early/Two naughty little girls/ Came into Woppy's bedroom/ and pulled his golden curls/Poor Wopps he who so sleepy/He never heard those girls/The first he knew of anything/was when they pulled his curls/But then he felt his swoolen [sic] head/His blissful dreams had gone/For Poppy sat apon chest-/and Lester sang the song' (on a sheet of headed writing paper from Clonsilla Lodge, County Dublin)6 x 11cm (2¼ x 4¼ in.) irregular; the letter 19.8 x 12.5cm (7¾ x 4¾ in.)Provenance:Sale Sotheby's, London, The Irish Sale,16 May 2002, lot 115.The present lot was part of a group of letters, offered for sale in 2002, which were written by Orpen to Mrs Evelyn Florence St George and her daughter Gardenia between 1907 and 1912. Mrs St George was Orpen's mistress and muse, who transformed his personal and artistic life, Orpen was the father of her second daughter, Vivien born in 1912. Self-portraits were a frequent feature in Orpen's letters as he found illustrations a more succinct way to communicate his thoughts and feelings.
Title: The Manchester Child has Nearly Killed Me Medium: Pen and Ink on Paper Signature: Unsigned; Titled and Inscribed Lower and Upper Right Provenance: Christie's, The Irish Sale, London, 22nd May, 1998, Lot 30, Where acquired by Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones; Hessink's Fine Art Auctioneers, 25 March, 2023, Lot 194; Private Collection Framed A witty and spontaneous drawing inscribed “The Manchester Child has nearly killed me!” showing a humorous exchange between figures, executed on correspondence paper. A fine example of Orpen’s draughtsmanship and humour, drawn from life, accommodated with an interesting provenance, formerly in the collection of Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones PICTURES AND PRINTS Thursday 11th December 2025 18:59:44
Sir William Orpen KBE RA RHA, Irish 1878-1931 - Two studies of a nude (Yvonne Aubicq); pencil on paper, 33 x 45 cm Provenance: Pyms Gallery, London, stock no.C971 (label attached to the reverse of the frame) Note: Irish born Sir William Orpen was one of the most important artists working in early 20th century Britain and his work made while an Official War Artist in WWI are now considered amongst the most powerful paintings depicting war ever made. Orpen’s work was synonymous with the endeavours and achievements of Mary and Alan Hobart at Pyms Gallery, as they were instrumental in bringing about a reappraisal of his work in the late 20th century. Due to various feuds with Augustus John and Wyndham Lewis amongst others, Orpen's reputation has been tarnished following his death and was rarely exhibited or written about. From their 1982 ‘The Irish Revival’, the Hobarts exhibited important Irish modern artists at their gallery in London, bringing these figures back to prominence. Orpen’s work was central to their private collection and was featured heavily in the exhibition ‘Championing Irish Art: The Mary and Alan Hobart Collection’ at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 2023.
Sir William Orpen KBE RA RHA, Irish 1878-1931 - The End - A Glaze of Copal Varnish; ink and wash on paper, titled across top of sheet, 24.7 x 21.2 cm Provenance: Pyms Gallery, London, stock no.F561 (label attached to the reverse of the frame) Note: Irish born Sir William Orpen was one of the most important artists working in early 20th century Britain and his work made while an Official War Artist in WWI are now considered amongst the most powerful paintings depicting war ever made. Orpen’s work was synonymous with the endeavours and achievements of Mary and Alan Hobart at Pyms Gallery, as they were instrumental in bringing about a reappraisal of his work in the late 20th century. Due to various feuds with Augustus John and Wyndham Lewis amongst others, Orpen's reputation has been tarnished following his death and was rarely exhibited or written about. From their 1982 ‘The Irish Revival’, the Hobarts exhibited important Irish modern artists at their gallery in London, bringing these figures back to prominence. Orpen’s work was central to their private collection and was featured heavily in the exhibition ‘Championing Irish Art: The Mary and Alan Hobart Collection’ at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 2023.
Sir William Orpen KBE RA RHA, Irish 1878-1931 - I'm Looking for Titina; ink on paper, annotated and dedicated along bottom half of sheet, 26.2 x 20.5 cm Provenance: Pyms Gallery, London, stock no.H635 (label attached to the reverse of the frame) Note: Irish born Sir William Orpen was one of the most important artists working in early 20th century Britain and his work made while an Official War Artist in WWI are now considered amongst the most powerful paintings depicting war ever made. Orpen’s work was synonymous with the endeavours and achievements of Mary and Alan Hobart at Pyms Gallery, as they were instrumental in bringing about a reappraisal of his work in the late 20th century. Due to various feuds with Augustus John and Wyndham Lewis amongst others, Orpen's reputation has been tarnished following his death and was rarely exhibited or written about. From their 1982 ‘The Irish Revival’, the Hobarts exhibited important Irish modern artists at their gallery in London, bringing these figures back to prominence. Orpen’s work was central to their private collection and was featured heavily in the exhibition ‘Championing Irish Art: The Mary and Alan Hobart Collection’ at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 2023.
Sir William Orpen KBE RA RHA, Irish 1878-1931 - The Cafe (A man seated at a small table); charcoal on paper, 19.5 x 15.5 cm Provenance: Jeffrey Judelson (1942-2023) and thence by descent
Sir William Orpen RA RHA (1876-1931) En Plein Air (1899) Watercolour, 30 x 42cm (11¾ x 16½'') Signed, inscribed and dated (18)'99 Painted when William Orpen was in his early twenties, this lively watercolour offers a rare glimpse of the artist’s early fascination with the act of painting itself. Executed with fluid assurance and characteristic wit, it depicts the artist Will Rothenstein at his easel working in the open air, painting the Knewstub sisters –his and Orpen's future wives – Alice and Grace at Vattetot in 1899. They sit nearby, one absorbed in her needlework, the other reading. The work belongs to the formative years of Orpen’s career, when he was emerging from his academic training at the Slade School under Professor Henry Tonks and beginning to experiment with light, atmosphere, and informal subject matter. The relaxed tone of the sketch, together with its careful observation of pose and gesture, reveals Orpen’s innate gift for narrative and character, qualities that would later distinguish both his society portraits and his poignant depictions of wartime experience. The composition is also an affectionate record of the painter’s world at the turn of the century — a moment when plein-air study and the depiction of leisured refinement were central to the practice of modern artists in Britain and Ireland. Lightly handled yet full of presence, En Plein Air encapsulates the confidence and vitality of Orpen’s early style, and his enduring interest in the artist’s craft and those who inspired it.
Sir William Orpen, RA RHA (1876-1931) An Illustrated Letter with Sketch of George Moore Ink, 29 x 19.5cm (11.5 x 8”) Signed “Billion” Literature: The 'Wild Beast' referred to in the letter is illustrated in The Studio, Vol 40, 1907, p. 149 Provenance: From the Collection of the late Bruce Arnold ***PLEASE NOTE: Title of the work in the printed catalogue should read 'An Illustrated Letter with Sketch of a George Moore'***
Sir William Orpen RA RHA (1876-1931) Male Nude Pencil, 22 x 17cm (8¾ x 6¾”) Provenance: From the Collection of the late Bruce Arnold Exhibited: Dublin, The Neptune Gallery, June-July 1971
Vattetot Study. Pen and Wash. Unsigned. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist by Michael Salaman and hence, by descent; DeVeres, 22 June, 2004, lot 55; Private Collection Exhibited: Pyms Gallery, William Orpen, 1878 - 1931, Early Works, London, 1981 Framed PICTURES AND PRINTS Wednesday 8th October 2025 14:33:44
Sir William Orpen KBE RA RI RHA (1878-1931) FERRIS BLIGH ST. GEORGE, c.1921 oil on canvas signed lower right h:30 w:25 in. Provenance: Family of the sitter; Thence by descent to the present owner For the younger children of Mrs Evelyn St George, Orpen was avuncular. Known as 'Woppy' to Ferris and his sister, Vivien, in the years preceding the Great War, he was almost a member of the family, with a status equivalent to resident magician. Howard Bligh St George, the children's father, was a cousin of Annie Orpen, the artist's mother, and when the wealthy couple and their three older children moved to Clonsilla Lodge, on the outskirts of Dublin, she saw an opportunity for her aspiring portrait painter son (1). In a story that has often been told, Orpen would go on to form a liaison with Mrs St George during the years when both their marriages were under strain, and Ferris and Vivien were born. Contact was undoubtedly facilitated by Orpen's appointment as visiting lecturer at the Metropolitan School of Art in Dublin in October 1907, and later, by the St Georges' move to England. From the summer of 1912, the St Georges lived, first at Ashorne Hill in Warwickshire for a short time, and then at Coombe Hill, Richmond, in Surrey, with a London flat at 25 Berkeley Square. Following Ferris's birth on 25 March 1908, Orpen produced portraits of his mother, his elder and younger sisters, Gardenia and Vivien, his elder brother, Avenel, and Ferris himself, first as an infant, then in the present portrait when almost a teenager. During his childhood, the boy was affectionately known as 'Alcibiades' - 'Master Alci' to the painter - after the Greek general and interlocutor of Socrates. Frederick Ferris Bligh St George (1908-1970) was the St Georges' third son. The most informative account of his childhood is provided by his younger sister, Vivien Winch, who describes him as a 'very shy little boy' (2). They shared the basement at Coombe Hill and the wrath of their sister Gardenia's governess, Miss Smeeton, 'who rapped Ferris over the knuckles practically every day with a glass ruler when he did not play his scales properly' (3). Enduring these horrors, the two children were close - Vivien becoming Ferris's 'devoted shadow', to the extent that she bit a 'sizeable chunk' of his thigh when being teased at the age of four-and-a-half (4). Childhood for both was undoubtedly affected by the death of Ferris's older brother, the nineteen-year-old Avenel, killed by a sniper at Zillebeke on 15 November 1914 (5). The present portrait, the final St George commission, was completed by 1921, possibly with the aid of a photograph taken a few years earlier (6). While Orpen was enduring the privations of the Western Front three years later, the two children would 'stand shivering at our basement window watching the searchlights as they swung in great arcs across the sky' (7). Ferris would go on to pursue his own military career in Avenel's regiment, the 1st Life Guards, seeing service in the Second World War and reaching the rank of Colonel. He married Maud Radcliffe, a soldier's daughter, in October 1932, while his mother was living on the Isle of Wight. In the 1950s he became High Sheriff of Gloucestershire and he and his bride were keen supporters of the Beaufort Hunt. Long before this, in the present portrait we confront a talented young batsman, his sleeves rolled, and collar turned up as though he has arrived in the studio, straight from the crease. Delicate fingers clasped over the handle of his bat, and a face carefully lit, indicate that this is both a sensitive lad and one who was polished and was learning inscrutability. Poise as much as pose equally apply as Orpen's mature style assures us of swagger controlled. Ferris's portrait could well commemorate the occasion at St Boswells in the Scottish Borders when he had been 'caught out, having chalked up a gratifying number of runs' and his mother, 'tired of watching cricket … summoned the Hotchkiss, climbed gracefully aboard and was driven home' (8). The moment passed, the stumps were pulled, and Orpen has left us the penetrating gaze of a young cricketer whose life was before him. 1. Bruce Arnold, Orpen, Mirror to and Age, 1981, (Jonathan Cape), p. 184. 2. Vivien Winch, A Mirror for Mama, 1965, (MacDonald, London), p. 18. Ferris was three years and nine months older than his sister. They were both 'late' children having two older brothers and a sister. Winch was born on New Year's Day 1912. 3. Winch 1965, p. 20. Ferris's birth was registered in county Dublin when the family were living between Clonsilla Lodge, on the outskirts of the city and Screebe Lodge, Maam Cross, Galway. 4. Winch 1965, pp. 65-6. 5. Following Avenel's death, Orpen produced his full-length portrait in the ceremonial dress uniform of the Life Guards (sold Sotheby's 9 December 2020). In 1918, the artist would paint the blasted landscape at Zillebeke with a dead soldier in the foreground that was owned by the St George family prior to its acquisition by Tate Britain. 6. Orpen was living in Paris most of the preceding year, painting the signatories to the Peace Treaty of Versailles, and before that, on the Western Front from the spring of 1917. 7. Winch 1965, p. 37. 8. Winch 1965, p. 68. St George had acquired Springhill, a house in the Borders near Kelso and close to the home Ferris's schoolfriend, George Trotter,
Girl at a Window (Study) (1900) Pencil, Watercolour, Charcoal & Sepia wash. Signature: Signed Lower Right. Provenance: Davis Galleries, New York (label verso); Collection of Carter Burden, Christies, The Irish Sale, lot 71, 12 May 2005; Private Collection Literature: The Slade MDCCCXCIII-MDCCCVII: Drawings and Pictures by Several Past and Present Students of the Slade School, Slade School, London, 1907, pl. 24. Note: This is the main study for Orpen's 'Window in London Street' (1901), which hangs in the National Gallery of Ireland. Framed Lot Description: A finely rendered drawing by Sir William Orpen, depicting a young girl standing by a window with head turned in profile, hands resting against the sill. Executed in pencil and chalk with subtle tonal shading, the work reflects Orpen’s sensitive handling of light and texture, characteristic of his early portrait studies. Presented in a gilt moulded frame with gilt title plate. PICTURES AND PRINTS Tuesday 16th September 2025 19:05:00
Sir William Orpen KBE RA RHA, Irish 1878-1931 - ...this is not a fish?...; pencil on paper, 18.7 x 14.3 cm Provenance: Pyms Gallery, London, stock no.H631 (label attached to the reverse) Note: Irish born Sir William Orpen was one of the most important artists working in early 20th century Britain and his work made while an Official War Artist in WWI are now considered amongst the most powerful paintings depicting war ever made. Orpen’s work was synonymous with the endeavours and achievements of Mary and Alan Hobart at Pyms Gallery, as they were instrumental in bringing about a reappraisal of his work in the late 20th century. Due to various feuds with Augustus John and Wyndham Lewis amongst others, Orpen's reputation has been tarnished following his death and was rarely exhibited or written about. From their 1982 ‘The Irish Revival’, the Hobarts exhibited important Irish modern artists at their gallery in London, bringing these figures back to prominence. Orpen’s work was central to their private collection and was featured heavily in the exhibition ‘Championing Irish Art: The Mary and Alan Hobart Collection’ at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 2023.
Sir William Orpen KBE RA RHA, Irish 1878-1931 - Fatima; ink and wash on paper, titled across top of sheet, 21 x 17.7 cm Provenance: Pyms Gallery, London, stock no.E694 (label attached to the reverse of the frame) Note: This is a classic example of Orpen's style, characterised by his attention to texture, light and shadow. Often portraying people he knew, Orpen skillfully captures a sense of realism and the distinct personality of his sitters. Works of a similar theme are held in public collections including the Tate Britain, London, Manchester Art Gallery and The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham. Irish born Sir William Orpen was one of the most important artists working in early 20th century Britain and his work made while an Official War Artist in WWI are now considered amongst the most powerful paintings depicting war ever made. Orpen’s work was synonymous with the endeavours and achievements of Mary and Alan Hobart at Pyms Gallery, as they were instrumental in bringing about a reappraisal of his work in the late 20th century. Due to various feuds with Augustus John and Wyndham Lewis amongst others, Orpen's reputation has been tarnished following his death and was rarely exhibited or written about. From their 1982 ‘The Irish Revival’, the Hobarts exhibited important Irish modern artists at their gallery in London, bringing these figures back to prominence. Orpen’s work was central to their private collection and was featured heavily in the exhibition ‘Championing Irish Art: The Mary and Alan Hobart Collection’ at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 2023.
Sir William Orpen KBE RA RHA, Irish 1878-1931 - Woman with Horseman; ink, wash, pastel and pencil on paper, 16.5 x 16.5 cm Provenance: Pyms Gallery, London (label attached to the reverse of the frame) Note: Irish born Sir William Orpen was one of the most important artists working in early 20th century Britain and his work made while an Official War Artist in WWI are now considered amongst the most powerful paintings depicting war ever made. Orpen’s work was synonymous with the endeavours and achievements of Mary and Alan Hobart at Pyms Gallery, as they were instrumental in bringing about a reappraisal of his work in the late 20th century. Due to various feuds with Augustus John and Wyndham Lewis amongst others, Orpen's reputation has been tarnished following his death and was rarely exhibited or written about. From their 1982 ‘The Irish Revival’, the Hobarts exhibited important Irish modern artists at their gallery in London, bringing these figures back to prominence. Orpen’s work was central to their private collection and was featured heavily in the exhibition ‘Championing Irish Art: The Mary and Alan Hobart Collection’ at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 2023.
Sir William Orpen N.E.A.C., R.A., H.R.H.A. (Irish, 1878-1931) Studies of a Female Nude signed and inscribed 'William Orpen/Slade School' (upper centre); further signed and inscribed 'William Orpen/Slade School' (on sheet verso) pencil on paper 43.5 x 27.5cm (17 1/8 x 10 13/16in). with further pencil drawings, of a similar subject, on the reverse, by the same hand
SIR WILLIAM ORPEN (BRITISH 1878-1931)PORTRAIT OF GRACE ORPEN (NÉE KNEWSTUB)Coloured chalk16.5 x 13cm (6¼ x 5 in.)Provenance:Private Collection, John Postle Heseltine, London (Lugt 1508), his collector's mark versoHis sale, Sotheby's, London, 27-29 May 1935, part lot 344 R. E. A. Wilson (Savile Gallery), LondonPossibly Wyndham T. Vint, Bradford, YorkshirePrivate Collection, UK, and thence by descentExhibited:Possibly London, Carfax & Co., Paintings and Drawings by William Orpen, November 1901, no.7 ('Two Portraits', priced at £6)Possibly Brighton, Public Art Galleries, Watercolours and Drawings by Modern Artists, May-June 1937Possibly Kingston upon Hull, Ferens Art Gallery, Modern Paintings and Drawings, April-May 1956Literature:Possibly Bruce Arnold, Orpen: Mirror to an Age, London, 1981, p.102Grace Knewstub (1877-1948) was the younger sister of Alice Knewstub, the wife of painter William Rothenstein. She first met William Orpen in the summer of 1899, when she, Orpen, Augustus John and Charles Conder joined the newly married Rothensteins on holiday in Normandy. Both Orpen and John fell in love with Grace, and she maintained a correspondence with the former throughout the winter of 1899-1900. She first posed for Orpen in 1900, and the two were married in August 1901.
SIR WILLIAM ORPEN (BRITISH 1878-1931)PREPARING THE BULLOCKWatercolour, pencil, ink and gouache29 x 39cm (11¼ x 15¼ in.)Provenance:Sale, Christie's, London, 20 September 1990, lot 11
SIR WILLIAM ORPEN (BRITISH 1878-1931)PORTRAIT OF MISS J.M. HONE, HOWTH, DUBLINPencil and watercolourSigned (lower right)34.5 x 31.5cm (13½ x 12¼ in.)Exhibited:London, The Fine Arts Society, The Early Years of the New English Art Club, February 1968, no. 85
SIR WILLIAM ORPEN (BRITISH 1878-1931)STUDY FOR THE HOLY WELL: A NUDE COUPLE AND A KNEELING MANPencil and black chalk, partially squared for transferSigned (lower left), further signed, dated December 1930 and dedicated To George Roller/with many thanks (lower right)64.5 x 42.5cm (25¼ x 16½ in.)UnframedProvenance:A gift from the artist to George Roller, December 1930Purportedly given by him to the jockey Joseph ('Joe') Childs, Portsmouth and by descentSale, Toovey's, Sussex, 6 September 2017, lot 19Exhibited:London, Piano Nobile, Augustus John & The First Crisis of Brilliance, 2024, no.36 (illustrated in the exhibition catalogue by David Boyd Haycock, pp. 92-92)
Sir William Orpen (1878-1931), Irish MR. DANBY, SOLICITOR, CA. 1904 oil on canvas signed lower left 14.75 x 12 in — 37.5 x 30.5 cm Estimate: $6,000—8,000 CAD
Sir William Orpen (1878-1931), Irish ANNETTE AND LUBIN, CA. 1904-5 ink and watercolour on paper signed lower left and right; titled and inscribed to lower margin 14 x 10 in — 35.6 x 25.4 cm Estimate: $5,000—7,000 CAD
Sir William Orpen (1878-1931), Irish WOMAN graphite on paper signed lower right; titled to gallery label verso 11 x 8.9 in — 28 x 22.5 cm Estimate: $3,000—5,000 CAD
Sir William Orpen (1878-1931), Irish SELF PORTRAIT black and brown ink with umber wash on paper signed and dedicated 9.1 x 7.1 in — 23 x 18 cm Estimate: $1,000—2,000 CAD
Sir William Orpen KBE RA RHA, Irish 1878-1931 - Fatima; ink and wash on paper, titled across top of sheet, 21 x 17.7 cm Provenance: Pyms Gallery, London, stock no.E694 (label attached to the reverse of the frame) Note: This is a classic example of Orpen's style, characterised by his attention to texture, light and shadow. Often portraying people he knew, Orpen skillfully captures a sense of realism and the distinct personality of his sitters. Works of a similar theme are held in public collections including the Tate Britain, London, Manchester Art Gallery and The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham. Irish born Sir William Orpen was one of the most important artists working in early 20th century Britain and his work made while an Official War Artist in WWI are now considered amongst the most powerful paintings depicting war ever made. Orpen’s work was synonymous with the endeavours and achievements of Mary and Alan Hobart at Pyms Gallery, as they were instrumental in bringing about a reappraisal of his work in the late 20th century. Due to various feuds with Augustus John and Wyndham Lewis amongst others, Orpen's reputation has been tarnished following his death and was rarely exhibited or written about. From their 1982 ‘The Irish Revival’, the Hobarts exhibited important Irish modern artists at their gallery in London, bringing these figures back to prominence. Orpen’s work was central to their private collection and was featured heavily in the exhibition ‘Championing Irish Art: The Mary and Alan Hobart Collection’ at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 2023.
Sir William Orpen KBE RA RHA, Irish 1878-1931 - Woman with Horseman; ink, wash, pastel and pencil on paper, 16.5 x 16.5 cm Provenance: Pyms Gallery, London (label attached to the reverse of the frame) Note: Irish born Sir William Orpen was one of the most important artists working in early 20th century Britain and his work made while an Official War Artist in WWI are now considered amongst the most powerful paintings depicting war ever made. Orpen’s work was synonymous with the endeavours and achievements of Mary and Alan Hobart at Pyms Gallery, as they were instrumental in bringing about a reappraisal of his work in the late 20th century. Due to various feuds with Augustus John and Wyndham Lewis amongst others, Orpen's reputation has been tarnished following his death and was rarely exhibited or written about. From their 1982 ‘The Irish Revival’, the Hobarts exhibited important Irish modern artists at their gallery in London, bringing these figures back to prominence. Orpen’s work was central to their private collection and was featured heavily in the exhibition ‘Championing Irish Art: The Mary and Alan Hobart Collection’ at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 2023.
Self-Portrait Caricature (1925). Pen, Ink & Wash. Signed and inscribed 'With Love', London, 1925 Centre Left. Provenance: Private Collection Framed PICTURES AND PRINTS Wednesday 28th May 2025 16:03:30
Girl at a Window (study) (1900) Pencil, watercolour, charcoal & sepia wash. Signed Lower Right. Provenance: Davis Galleries, New York (label verso); Collection of Carter Burden, Christies, The Irish Sale, lot 71, 12 May 2005; Private Collection Literature: The Slade MDCCCXCIII-MDCCCVII: Drawings and Pictures by Several Past and Present Students of the Slade School, Slade School, London, 1907, pl. 24. Framed Note: This is the main study for Orpen's 'Window in London Street' (1901), which hangs in the National Gallery of Ireland. PICTURES AND PRINTS Wednesday 28th May 2025 11:36:12
Vattetot Study. Pen and Wash. Unsigned. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist by Michael Salaman and hence, by descent; DeVeres, 22 June, 2004, lot 55; Private Collection Exhibited: Pyms Gallery, William Orpen, 1878 - 1931, Early Works, London, 1981 Framed PICTURES AND PRINTS Tuesday 27th May 2025 10:37:42
William Orpen (Irish 1878-1931) Study of a Baby pencil 18 x 16.5 cm, framed and glazed 29 x 26 cm Provenance: The Property of Diana Olivier (the artist's daughter), thence by descent.
Sir William Orpen, KBE RA RHA, Irish 1878-1931 - I'm Looking for Titina; ink on paper, annotated and dedicated along bottom half of sheet, 26.2 x 20.5 cm Provenance: Pyms Gallery, London, stock no.H635 (label attached to the reverse of the frame) Note: Irish born Sir William Orpen was one of the most important artists working in early 20th century Britain and his work made while an Official War Artist in WWI are now considered amongst the most powerful paintings depicting war ever made. Orpen’s work was synonymous with the endeavours and achievements of Mary and Alan Hobart at Pyms Gallery, as they were instrumental in bringing about a reappraisal of his work in the late 20th century. Due to various feuds with Augustus John and Wyndham Lewis amongst others, Orpen's reputation has been tarnished following his death and was rarely exhibited or written about. From their 1982 ‘The Irish Revival’, the Hobarts exhibited important Irish modern artists at their gallery in London, bringing these figures back to prominence. Orpen’s work was central to their private collection and was featured heavily in the exhibition ‘Championing Irish Art: The Mary and Alan Hobart Collection’ at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 2023.
Sir William Orpen, KBE RA RHA, Irish 1878-1931 - Trying to Draw this Rabbit; watercolour and ink on headed paper, annotated across bottom quarter and reverse of sheet, 33.3 x 20.3 cm Provenance: Pyms Gallery, London, stock no.L937 (label attached to the reverse of the frame) Note: Irish born Sir William Orpen was one of the most important artists working in early 20th century Britain and his work made while an Official War Artist in WWI are now considered amongst the most powerful paintings depicting war ever made. Orpen’s work was synonymous with the endeavours and achievements of Mary and Alan Hobart at Pyms Gallery, as they were instrumental in bringing about a reappraisal of his work in the late 20th century. Due to various feuds with Augustus John and Wyndham Lewis amongst others, Orpen's reputation has been tarnished following his death and was rarely exhibited or written about. From their 1982 ‘The Irish Revival’, the Hobarts exhibited important Irish modern artists at their gallery in London, bringing these figures back to prominence. Orpen’s work was central to their private collection and was featured heavily in the exhibition ‘Championing Irish Art: The Mary and Alan Hobart Collection’ at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 2023.
Sir William Orpen, KBE RA RHA, Irish 1878-1931 - The End - A Glaze of Copal Varnish; ink and wash on paper, titled across top of sheet, 24.7 x 21.2 cm Provenance: Pyms Gallery, London, stock no.F561 (label attached to the reverse of the frame) Note: Irish born Sir William Orpen was one of the most important artists working in early 20th century Britain and his work made while an Official War Artist in WWI are now considered amongst the most powerful paintings depicting war ever made. Orpen’s work was synonymous with the endeavours and achievements of Mary and Alan Hobart at Pyms Gallery, as they were instrumental in bringing about a reappraisal of his work in the late 20th century. Due to various feuds with Augustus John and Wyndham Lewis amongst others, Orpen's reputation has been tarnished following his death and was rarely exhibited or written about. From their 1982 ‘The Irish Revival’, the Hobarts exhibited important Irish modern artists at their gallery in London, bringing these figures back to prominence. Orpen’s work was central to their private collection and was featured heavily in the exhibition ‘Championing Irish Art: The Mary and Alan Hobart Collection’ at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 2023.
