James Arthur O'Connor, Circle of, Landscape Oil

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James Arthur O'Connor, Circle of, Landscape Oil

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Circle of James Arthur O’Connor, circa 1792-1841 - From or inspired by the picturesque, middle phase of the artist's career beginning c1820 which is marked by a move away from specific topographic views towards more imaginary, idealised landscapes. There are two examples of this style in the National Gallery of Ireland, Homeward Bound and Landscape with Figures and Sandbanks. John Hutchinson summarises the style of such pictures as being "delightfully atmospheric" and expressing "a warm, idealised conception of the countryside." They usually include one or two human figures, as we see here which, though small, are placed so they can act as a focal point to lead the eye into the work. Hutchinson suggests that during this middle period, O'Connor was greatly influenced by the paintings of 17th-century Dutch masters such as Hobbema and Ruysdael. - The upper section of the composition is also characteristically dominated by wide skies. - The trees and shrubs are also characteristically painted in fine detail demonstrating O'Connor's primary interest, no doubt reflecting that of his patrons, in giving as accurate as possible a representation of the scene being shown. - Characteristically this work has a quiet quality and "it is this quietness which pervades much of his work early and late and which gives his oeuvre its unity." - This work is unsigned and therefore attributed as 'circle of' An upland landscape with two a man and a boy in the foreground walking along a lane through a landscape with specimen trees and shrubs in the foreground, with monastic buildings in the middle of the composition and hills beyond and the pink sky of dawn or dusk. Oil on canvas. In the original gilded frame with carved acanthus leaves in each corner. Framemakers label verso H Thompson & Sons, 139 & 141 Gossett Street, London NE. Cleaned, light restoration. Canvas: Height 51 cm., length 61 cm. Frame Height 66 cm., length 76 cm. O'Connor, James Arthur (1792–1841) BIOGRAPHY Born at 15 Aston's Quay, Dublin, the son of William O'Connor, an engraver and printseller. It is likely that William O'Connor trained his son in his profession; several etchings are among James Arthur O'Connor's earliest documented works. O'Connor's interest soon shifted from engraving to landscape painting, in which he was largely self-taught, although there has been speculation that he received some lessons from William Sadler (1782?–1839), and he may have informally attended classes in the Dublin Society Drawing Schools. O'Connor first exhibited in 1809 at the Dublin Society and the Society of Artists of Ireland. In 1810 he published a series of etchings of Dublin, which was favourably reviewed in Hibernia, and from 1810 to 1812 he continued to show at the Dublin Society and the Society of Artists of Ireland. About this time he met and became friends with the landscape painters Francis Danby (qv) and George Petrie (qv). In 1813 the three young artists travelled together to London where they attended exhibitions, particularly admiring J. M. W. Turner's ‘Frosty morning’ at the Royal Academy. During their visit the three may have met the celebrated American artist Benjamin West. Danby and O'Connor, having run out of money, journeyed on foot to Bristol. Danby remained in Bristol, where he had attracted some commissions, while O'Connor returned to Dublin to care for his sisters, who had been orphaned by the death of William O'Connor. Back in Ireland, O'Connor began to enjoy modest success both personally and professionally. He exhibited regularly in Dublin with the Hibernian Society of Artists, of which he became a member in 1815. Between 1818 and 1819 he secured a sizeable commission of some sixteen paintings for the second marquess of Sligo and Lord Clanricarde, which took him to the west of Ireland for a time. Here, he produced a series of accomplished landscapes of Westport and Portunna, and about the same time completed a separate commission of four views of Ballinrobe for Courtney Kenny, of Ballinrobe House. He showed seven paintings at the 1819 exhibition of the Artists of Ireland at the Dublin Society (an exhibition he was directly involved in organising). At some time in this period he married Anastasia Agnes, who moved with him to London in 1822. Though his reputation was growing – a fact reflected in the premium of 25 guineas he received from the Royal Irish Institution in 1820 – he had difficulty in finding buyers for his work, and hoped that London would afford greater opportunities. Shortly after moving to London in 1822, O'Connor exhibited for the first time in the Royal Academy. He became a regular contributor to the academy (being represented in seventeen exhibitions (1822–40)), as well as to other major London exhibitions at the British Institution and the Society of British Artists (of which he was elected a member). His contributions were always landscapes, predominantly of Irish scenes. While in London, his artistic vision was significantly shaped by the picturesque; one of his most notable paintings in this period is the characteristically evocative ‘The devil's glen, with a fisherman’ (1828). He enjoyed some commercial success, but reportedly ‘fell foul of dealers’ commissions and fees’ (Hutchinson, O'Connor, 121). The ensuing years, while crucial critically and stylistically, were marked by misfortune. In May 1826 the O'Connors and an art dealer (named in sources as Collior or Collier) travelled to Brussels, where James is thought to have completed and sold a considerable number of paintings. Financial success, however, remained elusive. He was soon swindled out of the profits, possibly by the dealer with whom he had travelled from London. The O'Connors returned to London in 1827, where James continued to show at major exhibitions. He visited Ireland in 1830 (and possibly also in 1828), a trip which precipitated another development in his artistic style, which became ‘more overtly romantic and darker in tone’ (Hutchinson, O'Connor, 151). In September 1832 he spent eight months in Paris, where his paintings were well received. He and Anastasia had planned to visit Rome next, but were persuaded by a chance acquaintance named Elliot to tour Germany instead. Elliot provided them with letters of introduction to influential people, but he turned out to be a mischievous conman operating under a known alias. Nevertheless the O'Connors spent several months in the Saar and Moselle regions of Germany, the dramatic scenery inspiring James in his work. They returned to London in November 1833, where James continued to exhibit, but found it increasingly difficult to attract buyers for his work. He worked tirelessly during this late period, producing in 1835 his best-known and arguably his greatest painting, ‘The poachers’ (NGI), which demonstrated his mastery of moonlight. By 1839 his precarious financial situation and lack of recognition had begun to put a strain his health. A generous commission by Sir Charles Coote (qv), paid in advance, provided some relief and a grateful O'Connor may have returned to Ireland about this time to paint a picture for him. In 1840 he exhibited for the second time at the Royal Hibernian Academy (having first exhibited there in 1830). O'Connor died 7 January 1841, at his lodgings in 6 Marlborough Street, Brompton, London. His wife was left in financial straits. Her burden was largely unalleviated by the auction of fifty of O'Connor's landscapes at Christies on 12 February 1842, none of which sold for more than a few pounds, and in April 1845 The Art Union Magazine published an appeal on her behalf. O'Connor was described in his obituary in the Dublin Monthly Magazine as ‘a spirit of exceeding mildness; manly, ardent, unobtrusive and sincere; generous in proclaiming contemporary merit, and unskilled and reluctant to put forth his own’ (Apr. 1842). Sources Gentleman's Magazine (Mar. and June 1841); ‘M’, ‘Memoirs of native artists, no. VII: James O'Connor’, Dublin Monthly Magazine (Apr. 1842), 255–66; Thomas Bodkin, Four Irish landscape painters (1920); Anne Crookshank and the Knight of Glin, The painters of Ireland (1978), 211–14; Peter Harbison, Homan Potterton and Jeanne Sheehy, Irish art and architecture from prehistory to the present (1978), 209–11; John Hutchinson, ‘The Romantic landscapes of James Arthur O'Connor’, Irish Arts Review 2/4 (1985), 50–55; id., James Arthur O'Connor (1985) (portr.) [exhibition catalogue, NGI, Nov.–Dec. 1985]

Creator:
James Arthur O'Connor (Artist)
Dimensions:
Height: 19.3 in (49 cm)Width: 23.23 in (59 cm)Depth: 0.04 in (1 mm)
Style:
George III (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Canvas,Oiled
Place of Origin:
Europe
Period:
Early 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1792-1841
Condition:
Repaired: cleaned with light restoration. Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
BUNGAY, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU3867315798632