William Orpen, Irish, 1878-1931
Title: Illustrated letter from William Orpen to Mrs St George with a sketch of the artist looking at a miniature on the reverse
Date: ?1909
Medium: Ink on paper
Dimensions:
18.8 x 23 cm
Signed: on verso, lower right: William Orpen
Credit Line: Presented, Mrs V. Graves, 1974
Object Number: NGI.7830.8
ProvenancePresented by Mrs Vivien Graves to the National Gallery of Ireland in 1974.
Inscriptionupper right (printed): METROPOLITAN SCHOOL OF ART/KILDARE STREET DUBLIN
centre right: My Dear Mrs St. George. I got your/letter at the cliffs this morning/you are certainly the most wonderful/thing that ever happened.You/have lifted a load off my mind/though as you know there is/nothing I should have loved/better than to have gone to Screebe -/What afternoon shall I go and/do the varnishing for you? On/no account let Egan touch it -/I could blame him than in doing/Something wrong if people don't/Like it - I would sooner have/Everything off my own bat: and
centre left: get all the curses myself - where/would you like the picture painted/at Clonsilla or here? I presume/Clonsilla would be nicer for Mr./Baker - but I do not know what/Trains I could catch - the 9/From Howth is about the earliest/I could get from there and that would
Miss the 9-30 Broadstone - However/We can talk about that -/Thanks so much for the books -/I'm sorry he did not keep up to/The mark. - Jennie French came/over yesterday and showed me/the miniature - I think it's very/good - at least as good as/a human (Woman) could do of such a/marvelous and wonderful being/as the one and only Alcie - Honest
on verso: I think it's very good - but miniatures give me the [pip]/In general - that dirty beast Jennie French says Alcie/Is (heavier) than Christine - the great elephant - my child/Has the soul if yours the body - don't ask me to/Go to Clonsilla Sunday as I have brother coming/Out to stay the weekend. Any day after you like -/All right, all right - there are no straight lines in this/drawing and no need for them/so please pass/it without remarks/I forgot to mention/before that I have put/on 1 ½ stone in weight/this summer this drawing/make break it to you/I'm just like my brother/Richard - I had a/letter from Asquith this/morning saying he was/ready to sit 3 days/next week! I think/I must be going crazy I never/Seem to finish anything/Yours sincerely/William Orpen
centre right: My Dear Mrs St. George. I got your/letter at the cliffs this morning/you are certainly the most wonderful/thing that ever happened.You/have lifted a load off my mind/though as you know there is/nothing I should have loved/better than to have gone to Screebe -/What afternoon shall I go and/do the varnishing for you? On/no account let Egan touch it -/I could blame him than in doing/Something wrong if people don't/Like it - I would sooner have/Everything off my own bat: and
centre left: get all the curses myself - where/would you like the picture painted/at Clonsilla or here? I presume/Clonsilla would be nicer for Mr./Baker - but I do not know what/Trains I could catch - the 9/From Howth is about the earliest/I could get from there and that would
Miss the 9-30 Broadstone - However/We can talk about that -/Thanks so much for the books -/I'm sorry he did not keep up to/The mark. - Jennie French came/over yesterday and showed me/the miniature - I think it's very/good - at least as good as/a human (Woman) could do of such a/marvelous and wonderful being/as the one and only Alcie - Honest
on verso: I think it's very good - but miniatures give me the [pip]/In general - that dirty beast Jennie French says Alcie/Is (heavier) than Christine - the great elephant - my child/Has the soul if yours the body - don't ask me to/Go to Clonsilla Sunday as I have brother coming/Out to stay the weekend. Any day after you like -/All right, all right - there are no straight lines in this/drawing and no need for them/so please pass/it without remarks/I forgot to mention/before that I have put/on 1 ½ stone in weight/this summer this drawing/make break it to you/I'm just like my brother/Richard - I had a/letter from Asquith this/morning saying he was/ready to sit 3 days/next week! I think/I must be going crazy I never/Seem to finish anything/Yours sincerely/William Orpen