William Orpen
, Irish, 1878-1931
Title
Looking at the SeaDate1912
MediumOil on panel
Dimensions
61 x 50 cm
Credit LinePurchased, 1932
Object numberNGI.956
Exhibition HistoryWilliam Orpen 1878-1931, A Centenary Exhibition, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, 1 November -15 December 1978French 19th and 20th Century Paintings from the National Gallery of Ireland: Corot to Picasso, Daimaru Museum, Tokyo, 5 September - 17 September 1996; Daimaru Museum, Kyoto, 10 October - 22 October 1996; Kawaguchiko Museum of Art, Yamanashi, 26 October - 2 December 1996; Daimaru Museum, Umeda,Osaka, 22 January - 9 February 1997; Aomori Municpal Gallery of Art, Aomori, 2 April - 20 April 1997
Irish Art from Nathaniel Hone to Nano Reid – the Drogheda Municipal Art Collection in Context, Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda, 4 October 2006 – 18 February 2007
Label TextEach summer from 1909 to the outbreak of the First World War, Orpen spent two months with his family at Howth, staying at a house called ‘The Cliffs’. During these productive visits – which also involved teaching stints at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art – he painted a series of pictures featuring members of his family sheltering from the strong breezes that swept along Howth Head. With typical virtuosity, he records in this example the blustery conditions and dance of light upon the scene, but also a moment of quiet reverie.