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Nathaniel Grogan
ARCADIAN FIGURES IN A CLASSICAL LANDSCAPE
Lot 52
Price Realised:
€16,000
Estimate:
€20,000 - €30,000
Nathaniel Grogan, 1740 - 1807
ARCADIAN FIGURES IN A CLASSICAL LANDSCAPE
Oil on canvas, 50" x 63" (127 x 160cm)
Exhibited: A Question of Attribution: The Arcadian Landscapes of Nathaniel Grogan and John Butts,Crawford Municipal Galle...
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Lot 52
Nathaniel Grogan
ARCADIAN FIGURES IN A CLASSICAL LANDSCAPE
Lot 52
Nathaniel Grogan
ARCADIAN FIGURES IN A CLASSICAL LANDSCAPE
Estimate:
€20,000 - €30,000
Nathaniel Grogan, 1740 - 1807
ARCADIAN FIGURES IN A CLASSICAL LANDSCAPE
Oil on canvas, 50" x 63" (127 x 160cm)
Exhibited: A Question of Attribution: The Arcadian Landscapes of Nathaniel Grogan and John Butts,Crawford Municipal Gallery, Cork (2012)
Nathaniel Grogan was born in Cork and studied for a period with John Butts, but at an early age he enlisted in the army and travelled to America and the West Indies, returning to Ireland towards the end of the American war. He is known to have spent some time in Philadelphia and in 1777 advertised that he offered 'sign and ornamental painting, with pencil work in general.' Once back in Cork, Grogan settled down, fathered nineteen children and produced a highly idiosyncratic body of work. He has been described as 'one of the earliest Irish artists to paint genre subjects (AAI, 2, 276) and, while the influence of Dutch art and of his master Butts is often apparent, his work its distinctive, original and highly appealing. Among Grogan's best-known paintings are this and the following lot, as well as his View on the River Lee (National Gallery of Ireland) and his Itinerant Preacher (private collection). His twelve published views of the environs of Cork, mentioned by Pasquin, were advertised in the New Cork Evening Post in 1796. Grogan worked and exhibited in London, he undertook book illustrations and was a notable graphic artist. He even tried his hand at large-scale classical decorative painting at Vernon Mount, County Cork, sadly destroyed in the fire of 2016.
This large and slightly enigmatic canvas shows a young girl placing a garland of flowers on the head of a seated young man who is playing a pipe. The rather rococo colour scheme of their costumes contrasts with the earth-based palette of the rest of the landscape. Directly above - and in its solidity offering a marked contrast to the graceful figures - the stump of a tower is silhouetted against the sky. Again offering a contrast, if this time thematic, to the right of the composition a young woman milks a cow. Peter Murray in the catalogue of the important exhibition devoted to Grogan and Butts in 2012 describes 'this delightful composition' as 'probably Grogan's most truly Arcadian scene'. Suggesting that the scene may have been inspired by a literary source, Dr Murray continues:
While they form the focal point of the painting the two figures are not at its centre, which is occupied by the figure of a fisherman in the distance casting his rod over placid waters. The painting is redolent of sylvan bliss and of a lush and fertile landscape.,,,,[it] consciously celebrates the art of music and love, amidst pastoral peace and tranquility.
William Laffan, 2022
ARCADIAN FIGURES IN A CLASSICAL LANDSCAPE
Oil on canvas, 50" x 63" (127 x 160cm)
Exhibited: A Question of Attribution: The Arcadian Landscapes of Nathaniel Grogan and John Butts,Crawford Municipal Gallery, Cork (2012)
Nathaniel Grogan was born in Cork and studied for a period with John Butts, but at an early age he enlisted in the army and travelled to America and the West Indies, returning to Ireland towards the end of the American war. He is known to have spent some time in Philadelphia and in 1777 advertised that he offered 'sign and ornamental painting, with pencil work in general.' Once back in Cork, Grogan settled down, fathered nineteen children and produced a highly idiosyncratic body of work. He has been described as 'one of the earliest Irish artists to paint genre subjects (AAI, 2, 276) and, while the influence of Dutch art and of his master Butts is often apparent, his work its distinctive, original and highly appealing. Among Grogan's best-known paintings are this and the following lot, as well as his View on the River Lee (National Gallery of Ireland) and his Itinerant Preacher (private collection). His twelve published views of the environs of Cork, mentioned by Pasquin, were advertised in the New Cork Evening Post in 1796. Grogan worked and exhibited in London, he undertook book illustrations and was a notable graphic artist. He even tried his hand at large-scale classical decorative painting at Vernon Mount, County Cork, sadly destroyed in the fire of 2016.
This large and slightly enigmatic canvas shows a young girl placing a garland of flowers on the head of a seated young man who is playing a pipe. The rather rococo colour scheme of their costumes contrasts with the earth-based palette of the rest of the landscape. Directly above - and in its solidity offering a marked contrast to the graceful figures - the stump of a tower is silhouetted against the sky. Again offering a contrast, if this time thematic, to the right of the composition a young woman milks a cow. Peter Murray in the catalogue of the important exhibition devoted to Grogan and Butts in 2012 describes 'this delightful composition' as 'probably Grogan's most truly Arcadian scene'. Suggesting that the scene may have been inspired by a literary source, Dr Murray continues:
While they form the focal point of the painting the two figures are not at its centre, which is occupied by the figure of a fisherman in the distance casting his rod over placid waters. The painting is redolent of sylvan bliss and of a lush and fertile landscape.,,,,[it] consciously celebrates the art of music and love, amidst pastoral peace and tranquility.
William Laffan, 2022
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All maximum bids are confidential and not disclosed. The system will endeavor to purchase the lot for you for the least price. Bids are subject to buyer’s premium of 25% (incl vat), with no additional charges.
In the event of a tied bid, the preference will be given to the bid submitted first. The second bidder will receive immediate notification of being outbid.
PLEASE BID EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT.
In order to allow rival bidders the opportunity to respond to a late bid the following extensions will apply:
IF A BID IS RECEIVED WITHIN THE FINAL 45 SECONDS OF THE COUNTDOWN THE CLOCK WILL RESET TO 60 SECONDS.
At any point you can leave a maximum bid, representing the highest price you are prepared to pay for a particular lot. Bidding only advances when there is competition from a rival bidder. In that case the system bids on your behalf, only up to the maximum if required. All bids are relayed to you be email, along with notification if you have been outbid.
All maximum bids are confidential and not disclosed. The system will endeavor to purchase the lot for you for the least price. Bids are subject to buyer’s premium of 25% (incl vat), with no additional charges.
In the event of a tied bid, the preference will be given to the bid submitted first. The second bidder will receive immediate notification of being outbid.
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