Illustrated letter from William Orpen to Mrs St George with a sketch of the artist painting on a cliff

William Orpen , Irish, 1878-1931

Title

MediumInk on paper

Dimensions

23.5 x 18.6 cm

Credit LinePresented, Mrs Vivien Graves, 1974

Object numberNGI.7830.93

DescriptionIn 1906, William Orpen met Evelyn St George, a tall, glamorous American socialite married to Howard Bligh St George. The pair quickly cultivated a romantic relationship. Orpen’s illustrated letters, sent to Mrs St George between 1906 and 1921, gives a sense of the depth of feeling between them. The artist spent the summers of 1909 to 1915 at Howth, Co. Dublin. This humorous drawing showing the artist painting at his easel on a perilous precipice reflects his new penchant for painting outdoors.

(Katie Buckley, Curatorial Fellow - Prints and Drawings, An Artist's Presence, 2025, Print Gallery)