Walter Frederick Osborne
, Irish, 1859-1903
Title
Self-PortraitMediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
46 x 36 cm
Signedtop left: Walter Osborne
Credit LinePresented, the Artist's mother, 1903
Object numberNGI.555
DescriptionHaving attended the Royal Hibernian Academy Schools, Osborne entered the Académie Royale des Beaux-Artsin Antwerp, Belgium. From there he moved to Brittany, accompanied by his fellow Irish artists, Nathaniel Hill and Joseph Malachy Kavanagh. In France, he painted a large number of superb village and genre scenes, before travelling to England, where he applied his skills to similar everyday subjects. He became a member of the Royal Hibernian Academy in 1886. His pictures and drawings and particularly his portrayals of Dublin street life proved very popular in his lifetime. From 1891 he devoted himself largely to portraiture and his work in this genre was much sought after. According to Osborne's friend Stephen Gwynn, the expression on the artist's face in this self-portrait was typical of the artist.Exhibition HistoryMemorial Exhibition of the Works of Walter Osbourne, held in the Galleries of the RHA, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, Winter 1903
Great Irishman Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast, 1964