CHATSWORTH SUMMER ART SALE July 10th, 2024

227 info@fonsiemealy.ie 218. LeoWhelan (1892–1956) “Portrait of a Young Woman c. 1940,” oil on canvas unsigned approx. 21” x 17” (53cms x 43cms) gilt tipped and black moulded frame. (1) While the identity of the sitter in this portrait by Leo Whelan is unknown, it is possible that she was a relative, family friend or an employee in the Whelan family business. The artist’s parents, and later his sisters, ran a small hotel at their home at 65 Eccles Street, andWhelan often used members of the family as models, with the kitchen and rooms of their home as a setting. In later years he also had studios on Dawson Street, and Lower Baggot Street, where leading members of society would sit for their portraits. However, it is works such as these, often private, non-commissioned work, that Whelan excels as an artist. His skill as a portraitist is evident in the way he has captured the essence of the sitter; a young woman with a bright and convivial personality. Dressed in an embroidered blouse over which she wears a fur stole, the woman is depicted looking directly at the observer, smiling, with her head tilted slightly. The style and subject matter compares favourably with the paintings of William Orpen, who taught at the Metropolitan School of Art when Whelan was a student there. The handling of light, the ability to depict textures and surfaces, and the skill in capturing a likeness, are all reminiscent of Orpen. Among Whelan’s fellow students at the Metropolitan School were Sean Keating, Margaret Crilly and Patrick Tuohy, who equally show the influence of Orpen in their work. In 1911, Whelan exhibited for the first time at the Royal Hibernian Academy; five years later he was awarded the Taylor Art Scholarship and over the succeeding years he went on to become one of Ireland’s leading portrait painters: among his sitters were Michael Collins and Harry Boland. Elected a member of the RHA in 1922, he showed annually with the Academy until 1956. Peter Murray, 2024 €800-€1200 Click here for More Details & to Bid on This Lot 218