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Charles Vincent Lamb
CONNEMARA SHAWLIE - NAN MHICIL LIAM
Lot 4
Price Realised:
€8,000
Estimate:
€8,000 - €12,000
Charles Vincent Lamb, RHA, RUA, 1893-1964
CONNEMARA SHAWLIE - NAN MHICIL LIAM
Oil on canvas, 24" x 20" (61 x 50.7cm), signed.
Provenance: John Magee, Belfast (label verso); Private Collection.
Exhibited: Charles Lamb Memorial Exhibiti...
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Lot 4
Charles Vincent Lamb
CONNEMARA SHAWLIE - NAN MHICIL LIAM
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Lot 4
Charles Vincent Lamb
CONNEMARA SHAWLIE - NAN MHICIL LIAM
Estimate:
€8,000 - €12,000
Charles Vincent Lamb, RHA, RUA, 1893-1964
CONNEMARA SHAWLIE - NAN MHICIL LIAM
Oil on canvas, 24" x 20" (61 x 50.7cm), signed.
Provenance: John Magee, Belfast (label verso); Private Collection.
Exhibited: Charles Lamb Memorial Exhibition, Hugh Lane, April 1969 (label verso).
This is an important as well as a highly personalised portrait of one of the constant figures painted by Lamb over 40 years. A very handsome figure bearing the signs of her struggles but remaining formidable of eye.
The artist, famous for his Landscapes, also from earliest days had painted graphic and important portraits of those around him. Early examples are the portraits of the Fishermen of Lough Neagh where in typical fashion of his, they are depicted in a sudden movement where their character is revealed.
From the early 1920's in South Connemara Lamb encountered the varied characters of the people in that part of Connemara. Their daily domestic or working routines he observed as in "hearing the news" (a newspaper being read aloud to some neighbours) but the real focus is out of sight to us, but proving more interesting to his 'sitters' looking down the road than the printed story.
He posed a local woman Nan Mhicil Liam as the principal figure anchoring the composition (a big heavyset woman, large of head already with years taking their toll..)
With her main shawl she cut an imposing figure, and the lesser shawls used when 'footing' the turf wrapped around her chest and the characteristic Black & White woollen head shawl worn by married women out on the bog. The great red petticoat had its 3 black bands for married women and two bands for the unmarried/single. Nan was a daughter of the tailor of Na Minna (or Mine as it might be written as well). Nan (a variant of) Aine is identified as was the custom by the names of her Father & Grandfather after her own given name. This was necessary in places where the familial names were alike, so, clarity of identity was needed. From the Irish speaking townland of 'Na Minna' at Inverin she married into another Irish speaking fishing/farming family beside the Lambs own house in Carraroe.
Nan Mhicil Liam appears in various guises in Lambs works over two decades as "a Shawlie" "Fishwife" "gathering in the Corn" the 'woman of the evil eye" t'other half of a 'quaint couple'..
Here she's still wearing the black & white "Head Shawl" but using the fabric of the great woollen skirt as a shawl for heat and comfort. The shawls, smaller black & white, larger worn 'criss cross' over and around the upper body and the large/main shawl when out on the road or in the village were the great identifiers of local belongings (just as the knitted Aran type gansey for men was used to identify the drowned fishermen (when recovered) as to which Village or townland was their origin. The Artist had a great sense of the 'thingness' of fabric in clothes from his early 'Lough Neagh' works and it persisted in his figurative works all his life. It gives his pictorial accounts of people and things seen and recorded by him an international identity as belonging to a largely seaborne culture. So often in his works one could be forgiven for recognising the relationship to other Aegean seaborne or seagirt cultures due to colour and style of clothes.
The National Gallery of Ireland has a middle period sketch portrait of Nan Mhicil Liam already her massive face starting to show age and being careworn. But the immensity of her personality comes through all portrait depictions of her by this artist. The Greek female heroines and Queen Boudica would have recognised another Warrior Queen. Irish Mythical history tells us that at one time A fierce Amazon tribe lived here. Nan Mhicil Liam is obviously one of a type who survived to be recorded by Charles Lamb RHA.
This is a major gallery type painting for any Collector combining a great characterful image splendidly rendered in pigment.
Ciaran MacGonigal
Early Summer in North Longford, 2022
CONNEMARA SHAWLIE - NAN MHICIL LIAM
Oil on canvas, 24" x 20" (61 x 50.7cm), signed.
Provenance: John Magee, Belfast (label verso); Private Collection.
Exhibited: Charles Lamb Memorial Exhibition, Hugh Lane, April 1969 (label verso).
This is an important as well as a highly personalised portrait of one of the constant figures painted by Lamb over 40 years. A very handsome figure bearing the signs of her struggles but remaining formidable of eye.
The artist, famous for his Landscapes, also from earliest days had painted graphic and important portraits of those around him. Early examples are the portraits of the Fishermen of Lough Neagh where in typical fashion of his, they are depicted in a sudden movement where their character is revealed.
From the early 1920's in South Connemara Lamb encountered the varied characters of the people in that part of Connemara. Their daily domestic or working routines he observed as in "hearing the news" (a newspaper being read aloud to some neighbours) but the real focus is out of sight to us, but proving more interesting to his 'sitters' looking down the road than the printed story.
He posed a local woman Nan Mhicil Liam as the principal figure anchoring the composition (a big heavyset woman, large of head already with years taking their toll..)
With her main shawl she cut an imposing figure, and the lesser shawls used when 'footing' the turf wrapped around her chest and the characteristic Black & White woollen head shawl worn by married women out on the bog. The great red petticoat had its 3 black bands for married women and two bands for the unmarried/single. Nan was a daughter of the tailor of Na Minna (or Mine as it might be written as well). Nan (a variant of) Aine is identified as was the custom by the names of her Father & Grandfather after her own given name. This was necessary in places where the familial names were alike, so, clarity of identity was needed. From the Irish speaking townland of 'Na Minna' at Inverin she married into another Irish speaking fishing/farming family beside the Lambs own house in Carraroe.
Nan Mhicil Liam appears in various guises in Lambs works over two decades as "a Shawlie" "Fishwife" "gathering in the Corn" the 'woman of the evil eye" t'other half of a 'quaint couple'..
Here she's still wearing the black & white "Head Shawl" but using the fabric of the great woollen skirt as a shawl for heat and comfort. The shawls, smaller black & white, larger worn 'criss cross' over and around the upper body and the large/main shawl when out on the road or in the village were the great identifiers of local belongings (just as the knitted Aran type gansey for men was used to identify the drowned fishermen (when recovered) as to which Village or townland was their origin. The Artist had a great sense of the 'thingness' of fabric in clothes from his early 'Lough Neagh' works and it persisted in his figurative works all his life. It gives his pictorial accounts of people and things seen and recorded by him an international identity as belonging to a largely seaborne culture. So often in his works one could be forgiven for recognising the relationship to other Aegean seaborne or seagirt cultures due to colour and style of clothes.
The National Gallery of Ireland has a middle period sketch portrait of Nan Mhicil Liam already her massive face starting to show age and being careworn. But the immensity of her personality comes through all portrait depictions of her by this artist. The Greek female heroines and Queen Boudica would have recognised another Warrior Queen. Irish Mythical history tells us that at one time A fierce Amazon tribe lived here. Nan Mhicil Liam is obviously one of a type who survived to be recorded by Charles Lamb RHA.
This is a major gallery type painting for any Collector combining a great characterful image splendidly rendered in pigment.
Ciaran MacGonigal
Early Summer in North Longford, 2022
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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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