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James Arthur O'Connor , Irish, 1792-1841

Title

A Thunderstorm: the Frightened Wagoner

Date1832

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions

63.7 x 76.7 cm

Signedlower left: J A O'Connor 1832

Credit LinePresented, Mr F. McCormick, 1972

Object numberNGI.4041

DescriptionA Thunderstorm: the Frightened Wagoner is one of O’Connor’s finest works, which demonstrates his debt to Romanticism. The meticulous detailing and harmonious palette are typical of O’Connor’s work, but the picture’s drama contrasts starkly with the stillness that qualifies the artist’s early landscapes. Among this work’s remarkable qualities is the manner in which it communicates, despite its diminutive size, the awesome and unpredictable power of nature. The wagoner is dwarfed not just by the huge elements of the landscape but by the immensity of the drama that unfolds around him. While the gusting wind threatens to throw him to the ground, a bolt of lightning startles his horses, bringing one of them to its knees. With this painting, O’Connor confirms his status as the natural successor to George Barret, Thomas Roberts and William Ashford, whose work had been so profoundly informed by the notions of the sublime and beautiful propounded by Edmund Burke. It has been suggested that O’Connor’s choice of subject was attributable to William Wordsworth’s poem ‘The Wagoner’ of 1819. Nothing is known, however, of O’Connor’s literary preferences.
O’Connor travelled in 1813 to London with fellow artists Francis Danby and George Petrie, and proceeded with the former to Bristol. Shortly afterwards, he went home to Ireland to care for his orphaned sisters, but returned in 1822 to London, where he settled for the rest of his life.

March 2016
ProvenanceW.C. Cremin; Mr F.B. McCormick; presented, Mr F.B. McCormick, 1972 Exhibition HistoryO'Connor Centenary Exhibition, Municipal Gallery, Dublin, 1941

Irish Art in the 19th Century, Crawford Municipal School of Art, Cork, 31 October - 29 December 1971

Terror and Sublime: Art and Politics in an Age of Anxiety, Crawford Art Gallery, Cork, 20 November 2009 - 27 February 2010


Label TextThis is one of O’Connor’s finest works and a demonstration of his debt to Romanticism. While the meticulous detailing and harmonious palette is typical of O’Connor’s work, the picture’s drama contrasts starkly with the stillness that qualifies the artist’s early landscapes. Among this painting’s remarkable qualities is the manner in which it communicates, despite its diminutive size, the awesome and unpredictable power of Nature. It has been suggested that the choice of subject was attributable to William Wordsworth’s poem ‘The Wagoner’ of 1819, but nothing is known of O’Connor’s literary preferences.