William Orpen
, Irish, 1878-1931
Title
Portrait of John Count McCormack (1884-1945), TenorDate1923
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
104 x 86.4 cm
Signedupper left: ORPEN 1923
Credit LinePurchased, 2009
Object numberNGI.2009.11
DescriptionThough it predates by some five years McCormack’s elevation to the status of count by the Vatican, this portrait’s scale and quality are appropriate to the huge reputation the singer commanded internationally. Orpen manages to represent McCormack’s imposing stature without making this the dominant characteristic of the portrait. The sitter’s relaxed pose and casual dress (he appears in tennis attire) are consistent with numerous portrayals of classical singers of the period. This is particularly apposite, as the painting coincided with McCormack’s decision to retire from opera and concentrate on less formal concert performances. The portrait demonstrates Orpen’s renowned facility in capturing physical likeness and character, together with his technical virtuosity and innovative use of colour. It provides a counterpoint to the artist’s numerous formal portraits of military and political figures. Presenting McCormack against an indeterminate background, the portrait is very much a studio composition. For many of his portraits, Orpen dispensed with the artifice of contrived backgrounds, preferring either to locate the subject unambiguously in his studio or in a neutral setting. The sheets of music that McCormack holds loosely between his fingers alone hint at his occupation; the picture was, in any case, painted for the sitter himself. Orpen was one of the most virtuoso portraitists of his generation in Britain and Ireland, and enjoyed huge financial and critical success.
March 2016
ProvenanceThe sitter and by descent; purchased, Christie's, London, 8 May 2009, lot 49 Exhibition HistoryRoyal Academy, London, 1924
Portraits of the American Stage, 1771-1971, National Portrait Gallery, Washington 1971
Orpen Centenary Exhibition, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, 1978
William Orpen: Politics, Sex and Death, Imperial War Museum, London; National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, 2005
John McCormack Exhibition, National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin, 2009 - 2010
John Count McCormack, Luan Gallery, Athlone, 17 Dec 2015 - 10 Jan 2016
Label TextOrpen manages to represent McCormack’s imposing stature without making this the dominant characteristic of the portrait. Though the sitter’s relaxed pose and tennis attire seem rather incongruous with the discipline at which he excelled, they are consistent with numerous portrayals of classical singers of the period. Indeed, the presentation of McCormack in casual attire is apposite, as the painting coincided with McCormack’s decision to retire from opera and concentrate on more relaxed concert performances. The portrait demonstrates Orpen’s renowned facility in capturing physical likeness and character, his technical virtuosity and innovative use of colour.