James Arthur O'Connor (1792-1841)
A View of Howth with Howth Castle and Ireland's Eye in the Distance
Oil on canvas, 31 x 35cm (12¼ x 13¾'')
Signed

Provenance: With Cynthia O'Connor...

James Arthur O'Connor (1792-1841)
A View of Howth with Howth Castle and Ireland's Eye in the Distance
Oil on canvas, 31 x 35cm (12¼ x 13¾'')
Signed

Provenance: With Cynthia O'Connor Gallery, Dublin March 1984, No. 14; 'Important Irish Art', Adam's, 5 Dec 2001, Lot 46.

 

In this landscape, OConnor gives an accurate topographical view of the west side of the Hill of Howth, looking north towards Irelands Eye. In the flat landscape below the hill, a dolmen can be seen and, beyond it, Howth Castle (perhaps symbolising two eras of settlement in Ireland). The rocky island of Irelands Eye is close by in the bay, while the larger Lambay Island is visible on the horizon. The cheerful blue sea is echoed by the expanse of blue in the sky above the mass of clouds.

 

Another similar view of Howth dated c.1819-20 was exhibited at the 1985/6 exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland, catalogue no.43. In the present picture, the tones are brighter and the clouds drift in a pale duck-egg blue sky. John Hutchinson (1985, p.119) suggests that the present work is of a later date on stylistic grounds. Certainly, the brighter tones and lighter brushstrokes have some resemblances to landscapes by OConnor painted after his visit to France and Germany in 1832-33. It is possible that OConnor based both pictures on the same original study. Among contemporary landscapists, such as Michallon, Corot and Constable, it was not uncommon to paint two or more versions of the same motif, sometimes for exhibition purposes, or as copies of the original version for a new client. Crookshank and Glin illustrate a very similar view from Howth Head, attributed to Samuel Brocas (The Painters of Ireland, 1978, colour plate 40).

 

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