Skip to main content
, Irish, 1856-1941
Title
Return from Market
Date1884
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
117 x 61 cm
Signedlower left: J Lavery
Credit LinePresented, National Asset Management Agency, 2011
Object numberNGI.2011.11
ProvenanceThe artist's descendants; The Fine Art Society, c.1968; private collector; presented, National Asset Management Agency, 2011 Exhibition HistoryInternational Exhibition, Edinburgh, 1886

Paisley Art Institute, 1889

100 Years of Scottish Painting English Speaking Union, The Fine Art Society, Edinburgh, 1968

Sir John Lavery R.A. 1856-1941, The Fine Art Society, Edinburgh, 11 August - 8 September 1984; The Fine Art Society, London, 17 September - 12 October 1984; Ulster Museum, Belfast, 8 November 1984 - 13 January 1985; National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, 1 Febraury - 15 March 1985

Lines of Vision. Irish Writers at the National Gallery of Ireland, 8 October 2014 -12 April 2015

The Glasgow Boys: Pioneers of Scottish Painting (1880-1900), Drents Museum, Assen, 20 September 2015 - 7 February 2016

New Perspectives. Acquisitions 2011 - 2020, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, 11 May - 2 August 2021

Label TextLavery painted this work on his second visit to Grez-sur-Loing, a picturesque village and artists’ colony on the edge of the Forest of Fontainebleau. He had travelled there in search of new experiences, influences and motifs, and benefited hugely from the communal atmosphere that prevailed there. The theme of boating on the river, whether as part of work or recreation, recurred in Lavery’s work in Grez, as did the juxtaposition of youth and old age. The unorthodox format of the painting characterised other works by Lavery.