Irish Art Sale from Pyms Gallery (Hobart Collection).
Sotheby’s Paris auction on 10th May 2023.
Sale includes these four works by Sir William Orpen.
Lot: 42.
‘Walking in the Evening with the Chimpanzee’ by Sir William Orpen.
Text reads:- “Dear Bunny, (Orpen’s daughter Mary) this is Dad walking in the evening with the chimpanzee”.
Size: 13 x 8¼ inches.
Estimate: €2,000 – €3,000.
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Lot: 12.
‘The Normandy Cider Press’ by Sir William Orpen (1900).
Signed ORPEN (lower left). Oil on canvas.
Size unframed 21 x 30 inches.
Estimate: €30,000 – 50,000 EUR.
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Lot: 41.
‘Found at Last’ by Sir William Orpen.
Size 13 x 8½ inches.
Estimate €2,000 – €3,000.
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Lot: 40.
‘Trying to Draw this Rabbit’ by Sir William Orpen.
Self-portrait, illustrated letter on Dublin Metropolitan School of Art headed paper, pencil, ink & watercolour.
Text reads:- “My Dearest wife, this for Mary on the train, hope you will have a fine day and a safe journey, the drawing shows me trying to draw the rabbit, and the cow is not quite sure if I’m doing it right or not. I have stupidly just torn my picture. No news (reverse) and no news is good news except that the man from Toronto is coming about the second of August. I am working on Mother coming to stay at Howth and let me paint her while Father is away, I think she might. Much love to you all, your loving father, Billion.”
Size: 13¼ x 8 inches.
Estimate: €3,500 – €4,500.
Post by Dominic Lee, Orpen Research Archives.