Aloysius C O'Kelly Sold at Auction Prices

Aloysius C. O'Kelly (1853-1936) THE LADIES LAND LEAGUE

Aloysius C. O'Kelly (1853-1936) THE LADIES LAND LEAGUE grisaille on board signed lower right; with artist, title and medium on label on reverse; also with Hugh Lane exhibition label on reverse h:11.50  w:9.50 in. Provenance: Abbott & Holder, London, 1997; Collection of Ted and Elizabeth Hickey, Belfast; Whyte's,17 February 2004, Dublin, lot 156; Private collection Exhibited: 'Aloysius O'Kelly - Re-Orientations: Painting, Politics and Popular Culture', Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, Dublin, 25 November 1999 to 30 January 2000, catalogue no. 44 This piece depicts a meeting of the Central Ladies Land League in their office in Sackville Street, Dublin. The Ladies' Land League (founded 31 January 1881; dissolved 10 August 1882) was an auxiliary of the Irish National Land League and took over the functions of that organisation when its leadership was imprisoned. During the first few months of its existence the Ladies' Land League took over the administration of the Land League, including the processing of applications for relief and the providing of grants to evicted tenants. By July 1881 there were 420 branches throughout the country.

Aloysius C. O'Kelly (1853-1936) WOMEN GATHERING KELP

signed lower right

Aloysius C. O'Kelly (1853-1936) RIVER AND TREES

signed lower right

Aloysius C. O'Kelly (1853-1936) FISHING BOATS AT CONCARNEAU, FRANCE

signed lower right

Aloysius C. O'Kelly (1853-1936) RIVER AND TREES

signed lower right

Aloysius C. O’Kelly (1853-1936) HEAD OF A GIRL

signed lower right

Aloysius C. O'Kelly (1853- c.1941) Breton Church Interior with Figures

Aloysius C. O'Kelly (1853- c.1941) Breton Church Interior with Figures oil on canvas signed lower right h:91.50  w:64.50 cm. Provenance: Private Collection Exhibited: New Twists and Turns - The Taylor Galleries, Dublin March - April '07, Catalogue number 13 W Aloysius O'Kelly was born in Dublin in 1853. In 1874, Kelly travelled to Paris and attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts where he studied painting and drawing under the French masters Bonnat and Gérôme. In 1876 he visited Brittany, joining several other artists in practising plein-air painting in order to capture the naturalism of its villages and fishing ports. In 1895, he emigrated to America, settling in New York, where he painted many cityscapes and figurative scenes. This work was probably excuted around c.1905. Aloysius O'Kelly exhibited in London and at the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) in Dublin. He also showed in Paris and New York. His paintings can be found in several public and private collections, including the National Gallery of Ireland.

ALOYSIUS C. O'KELLY (American/British, 1853-1926) Tugbo

ALOYSIUS C. O'KELLY (American/British, 1853-1926) Tugboats in the East River, New York, circa 1910 Oil on canvas 20-1/8 x 29 inches (51.1 x 73.7 cm) Signed lower right: Aloys O'Kelly PROVENANCE: Private collection, Tomkins Cove, New York. EXHIBITED: Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland, November 24, 1999-January 29, 2000. LITERATURE: N. O'Sullivan, Aloysius O'Kelly, exhibition catalogue, Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland, 1999, p. 102, illustrated. Recently, art historians have devoted new attention to the skilled and eclectic work of the Irish painter Aloysius O'Kelly. Born in Dublin in 1853, O'Kelly trained in Paris during the 1870s at the École des Beaux-Arts, developing a refined technique under the tutelage of academic masters Jean-Léon Gérôme and Léon Bonnat. During the 1880s, he lived primarily in Connemara, Ireland, and produced realist, politically tinged genre paintings of the rural working class. O'Kelly's passion for travel and picturesque subjects took him to Brittany in northern France and to Cairo, and he became equally sought out for his sensitive portraits of Breton peasants and for his Orientalist scenes of Egyptian mosques and bazaars. In 1895, O'Kelly immigrated to New York, where he lived for the next thirty years, painting subjects ranging from portraits of the fictional Huckleberry Finn and the New York mayor John Purroy to Impressionist landscapes on the Sheepscott River in Maine. The East River, circa 1910, stands apart as one of O'Kelly's few industrial New York landscapes. Shaping the composition is the dramatic cantilever Queensboro Bridge connecting Manhattan and Long Island, considered an engineering marvel at its completion in 1909. Here, the viewer looks north from the East River toward Queens, with its dense cluster of factories and warehouses sparking to life in the early morning haze. O'Kelly cleverly plays with geometric patterns -- the rhythmic lines of the waves and the crisscrossing cables of the bridge -- and softens these hard edges with atmospheric clouds and steam puffs belching from foreground tugboats. O'Kelly's only other extant urban architectural work is of the original Metropolitan Hospital near the Queensboro Bridge.

Aloysius C. O’Kelly (1853-1936) UN VERRE DE VIN

signed lower right

Aloysius O'Kelly (American, New York, 1853-1926)

Aloysius O'Kelly (American, New York, 1853-1926), "Moonlit Western Landscape", oil on canvas, signed lower right "A. O'Kelly", 14-1/2" x 21-1/2". Framed.

Aloysius O'Kelly RHA (1853-1936) Child playing

Aloysius O'Kelly RHA (1853-1936) Child playing with bubbles Oil on canvas, 91 x 65cm (35.75 x 25.5") Signed Literature: "Aloysius O'Kelly, Art, Nation, Empire" by Niamh O'Sullivan Published by University of Notre Dame 2010, Catalogue number 209 - illustrated P325 Although included in the section of Niamh O'Sullivan's book as being painted at an unidentified location the child model in this work also appears in another work entitled "A Hearty Breakfast" but this time it would appear that the sardine boats of Concarneau are visible out through the window so a similar location might be suggested for the current work. It might even be suggested that this is the same model who appears in the iconic "Girl in a Meadow" which has been much exhibited and also featured on the front cover of the Irish Arts Review Vol. 12 1996.

ALOYSIUS C. O'KELLY (American, 1853-1926),

ALOYSIUS C. O'KELLY (American, 1853-1926), portrait of a red-headed woman, oil on panel, signed l/l, 13h, 9-1/4"w."

ALOYSIUS O'KELLY (1853-C1941, BRITISH) Signed

ALOYSIUS O'KELLY (1853-C1941, BRITISH) Signed Watercolour Egyptian Street Scene 14" x 10"

Aloysius O'Kelly RHA (1853-1941) Sheepscot River,

Aloysius O'Kelly RHA (1853-1941) Sheepscot River, Maine Oil on board, 30 x 37.5cm (11.75 x 14.75") Signed

Aloysius C. O'Kelly (Irish/American, 1853-1926) A Breton Pilgrimage Signed "A. O'KELLY" l.l....

Aloysius C. O'Kelly (Irish/American, 1853-1926) A Breton Pilgrimage Signed "A. O'KELLY" l.l., with a label from Ben Kabatznick, Brookline, Massachusetts, on the stretcher. Oil on canvas, 25 1/2 x 21 1/4 in. (64.8 x 54.0 cm), framed. Condition: Surface grime.

Aloysius O'Kelly b. 1853 , Portrait of an Arab man oil on canvas laid down on board

signed A. O'Kelly lower right oil on canvas laid down on board

ALOYSIUS C. O'KELLY Irish/American (1853-1926) The Toymaker oil on canvas, signed lower left.

ALOYSIUS C. O'KELLY Irish/American (1853-1926) The Toymaker oil on canvas, signed lower left. 24 x 20 1/8

Manner of Aloysius C O'Kelly, Irish 1850/53-1929-

Manner of Aloysius C O'Kelly, Irish 1850/53-1929- Mother and children; oil on canvas, bears signature, 76x54cm., (unframed)

ALOYSIUS C. O'KELLY (IRISH 1853-1926). WASH DAY IN BRITTANY.

Oil on panel, 13 x 9 inches. Signed 'A. O'Kelly' l.r. With title inscribed in pencil on the reverse.

f - ALOYSIUS O'KELLY B. 1853

SWIMMERS AND SAILBOATS 38 by 45.5cm.; 15 by 18in. signed l.r.: ALOYSIUS O'KELLY oil on canvas PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist by Jesse Nadal, Flushing, New York; from whom acquired by the family of the present owner, circa 1970

ALOYSIUS O'KELLY B. 1853

ON THE SHEEPSCOTT RIVER, MAINE measurements note 45.5 by 56.5cm.; 18 by 22¼in. signed l.r.: ALOYSIUS O'KELLY oil on canvas EXHIBITED Dublin, Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, Aloysius O'Kelly, November 1999 - January 2000, no.39, illustrated in the catalogue, p.106. NOTE In 1912, O'Kelly spent five months painting in Maine, the northern most county of New England, U.S.A. His principal subject was the Sheepscott river but he was also inspired by the expanse of coastline nearby and the traditional way of life advocated by the local inhabitants.

ALOYSIUS O'KELLY B. 1853

THE LANTERN measurements note 61 by 40.6cm.; 24 by 16in. signed l.r.: ALOYSIUS O'KELLY oil on canvas

f - ALOYSIUS O'KELLY B. 1853

THE FERRY, CONCARNEAU THE FERRY, CONCARNEAU 47 by 56cm.; 18½ by 22in. signed l.l.: ALOYSIUS O'KELLY watercolour PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist by Jesse Nadal, Flushing, New York; from whom acquired by the family of the present owner, circa 1970 EXHIBITED New York, Watercolour Club, 1906, no.89. NOTE The present work was painted from an elevated position on the Ville-Close opposite the Passage Lanriec, Concarneau in Brittany. O'Kelly also painted an oil version of the same subject (see Niamh O'Sullivan, Aloysius O'Kelly, exh.cat., Dublin 2005, no. p.61). O'Kelly had first visited Brittany in 1876 during the summer months whilst studying in Paris and the fresh rural subject matter would have been in direct opposition to the meticulous studio training Gérôme advocated. Like most of his contemporaries, he cannot have failed to be inspired by the naturalism of Jules Bastien-Lepage and his followers. The fluid yet sensitve handling of the present work clearly reflects the French master's edict of painting directly en plein air and the combination of this fresh style together with the manner of the signature suggest that it was most probably painted circa 1902-5, just before being exhibited in New York in 1906. O'Kelly certainly went to Brittany in 1902 following his return from the United States and continued to stay there for prolonged periods over the next 20 years.

ALOYSIUS O'KELLY B. 1853

AT PRAYER measurements note 49.5 by 35.5cm.; 19½ by 14in. signed l.r.: Al.O'Kelly oil on canvas

ALOYSIUS O'KELLY B. 1853

EDMUND O'DONOVAN AS AN ORIENTAL 56.5 by 40.5cm.; 22¼ by 16in. signed and inscribed in arabic l.r.: aloysius O'Kelly pencil, watercolour and gouache EXHIBITED Dublin, Hugh Lane Gallery, Aloysius O'Kelly, November 1999 - January 2000, no.7, illustrated in the exhibition catalogue. LITERATURE Niamh O'Sullivan, 'Lines of Resistence, the O'Kelly Brothers in the Sudan', Eire - Ireland, Fall, 1999, illustrated. NOTE Edmund O'Donovan was a particular friend of Aloysius and his brother James and was well known as an Irish Fenian journalist. They had all been together in Egypt in 1883 when O'Kelly first visited Cairo having been appointed journalist for the Pictorial World to record the war in Sudan between the Nationalist Rebels led by the Mahdi in their Jihad against the Anglo-Egyptian army. Major-General Hicks' division of the Anglo-Egyptian army was defeated by the Rebels in November 1883 and O'Donovan lost his life in the skirmish.

f - ALOYSIUS O'KELLY B. 1853 A HEARTY BREAKFAST

signed l.r.: A. O'Kelly oil on canvas CATALOGUE NOTE Highly reminiscent of Walter Frederick Osborne's sensitive treatment of children in works such as Cupboard Love (1886) and Small Girl with a Cat (sold in these rooms, 16 May 2003, lot 41), the present work captures a girl with lively curly red hair enjoying her breakfast. The ship masts framed by the window in the background suggest that the work was possibly executed somewhere along the Brittany coast where O'Kelly had painted similar boats in works such Harbour Scene, Concarneau. Although her identity is unknown, the same sitter was portrayed by the artist in another oil with a similar composition in which she is blowing bubbles (Private Collection).

ALOYSIUS O'KELLY B. 1853 ON THE SHEEPSCOTT RIVER, MAINE

signed l.l: ALOYSIUS O'KELLY oil on canvas CATALOGUE NOTE In 1912, O'Kelly spent five months painting in Maine, the northern most county of New England, U.S.A. His principal subject was the Sheepscott River but he was also inspired by the expanse of coastline nearby and the traditional way of life advocated by the local inhabitants.

ALOYSIUS O'KELLY B. 1853 THE MARKET

signed l.r.: ALOYSIUS O'KELLY oil on canvas CATALOGUE NOTE Although the exact location of The Market is unknown, the composition captures the lively market day at one of the villages near Pont-Aven and Concarneau on the Brittany coast. The women and children in their traditional Breton dress cluster animatedly around the local clog stall. O'Kelly first went to Brittany in 1876 during the summer months whilst studying in Paris and the fresh rural subject matter would have been in direct opposition to the meticulous studio training Gérôme advocated. Like most of his contemporaries, he cannot have failed to be inspired by the naturalism of Jules Bastien-Lepage and his followers. The loose handling of The Market clearly reflects O'Kelly's knowledge of the French master's edict of painting directly en plein air. The fluid style and manner of O'Kelly's signature in The Market suggest that it most likely dates to the first decade of the 20th century. Having returned from the United States, O'Kelly went to Brittany in 1902 and stayed there for prolonged periods over the next twenty years.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES ALOYSIUS O'KELLY B. 1853 FEEDING HENS, WEST OF IRELAND

signed l.r.: al.o.Kelly oil on canvas EXHIBITED Dublin, Royal Hibernian Academy, 1880, no.150; Dublin, The Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, Aloysius O'Kelly, 24 November 1999 - 29 January 2000, no.6 LITERATURE AND REFERENCES Niamh O'Sullivan, Aloysius O'Kelly, Re-Orientations, Painting, Politics and Popular Culture, exh.cat., The Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, Dublin, 24 November 1999 - 29 January 2000, pp.17-20, illustrated in colour on p.18 CATALOGUE NOTE Within the wider social and political context of the mid to late 19th century, the local Irish peasantry were consistently perceived as poor, in need of constant support and, as Punch magazine described in 1846, they appeared as 'monuments to national idleness' (as quoted by O'Sullivan, op.cit., p.20). Feeding the Hens, West of Ireland is important in offering an optimistic antithesis. Exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy in 1880, it was O'Kelly's example to the public of a more prosperous local family from the West of Ireland, most likely Connemara where O'Kelly visited in the late 1870s and 80s. The fisherman in his traditional tam o'shanter, his collarless under-shirt, léine ghals or léine gorm, and his báscóta the thick light coloured jacket, returns home to his family with a full basket of fish. In contrast to the plight of O'Kelly's Seaweed Gatherers, Connemara, here, the West of Ireland family appear as an ideal social entity united as a picture of Irish happiness.

PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN f - ALOYSIUS O'KELLY B. 1853 MOSQUE OF EZBECK, CAIRO, EGYPT

signed l.r.: Aloysius O'Kelly; titled and numbered no.4 on an old label and titled on a further label both attached to the stretcher oil on canvas EXHIBITED London, Royal Academy, 1886, no.336 (Mosque of Sultan Hassan, Cairo, was no.342); London, Irish Exhibition at Olympia, 1888, no.134; Dublin, Royal Hibernian Academy, 1889, no.195 (Mosque of Sultan Hassan, Cairo, was no.398); Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago, 1911, no.433 CATALOGUE NOTE Mosque of Ezbeck, Cairo, one of the artist's seminal paintings, is the most important large scale work by O'Kelly to have appeared on the auction market in recent years. Previously known from a watercolour, it was probably executed circa 1883 at the same time as another similar sized picture, Mosque of Sultan Hassan, Cairo, also known from a watercolour study. Both were exhibited together at the Royal Academy and the Royal Hibernian Academy suggesting that they were conceived as companion pieces. O'Kelly first visited Cairo circa 1883 when he was appointed as a journalist for the Pictorial World to record the war in Sudan between the Nationalist Rebels led by the Mahdi in their Jihad against the Anglo-Egyptian army. His illustrations are far from straightforward propaganda from the British point of view as one might expect from an artist who was protected by the British Army and living with them. They are, rather, more subtle illustrations from the rebel perspective and belie O'Kelly's own Nationalist Irish background. As such, O'Kelly's orientalist works are not conventional representations of what Edward Said has termed the oriental 'other', concentrating in large part on exotic women or the violent and agressive nature of the foreign 'savage'. In fact, despite having studied in Gérôme's studio, O'Kelly's Orientalist works couldn't be more different in their focus from works such as Gérôme's La Grande Piscine à Bursa (sold in these rooms, 14 June 2004, lot 112) where idealised women bathe themselves in an exotic hammam. In fact, as Niamh O'Sullivan has pointed out, in all of O'Kelly's orientalist works, only one bare female breast is depicted. O'Kelly focused instead on the details of every day life. In Mosque of Ezbeck, he has captured a quiet moment of prayer, the devotional atmosphere enhanced by the lofty dimension of the mosque's structure. Rather that simply reproducing detail in order to render the scene more 'Oriental', O'Kelly appears to show a genuine respect for the architecture, labouring over the fine details of the tiling, ogee arches and the mosque furnishings. Indeed, his sensitive representation reflects his empathy with the Nationalist rebels and it was whilst in Cairo with his brother James J. O'Kelly, that they met the leaders of the underground movement to advise them on their political strategy. We are grateful to Niamh O'Sullivan for her assistance with the cataloguing of this lot.

ALOYSIUS O'KELLY B. 1853 A QUESTION FOR THE SULTAN; THE SULTAN'S REPLY

a pair, each signed l.r.: a. o'Kelly oil on panel Quantity: 2 PROVENANCE Morris Fine Art, Manchester

ALOYSIUS O'KELLY, IRISH B. 1853

signed; signed and titled on an old label attached to the frame A SKIRMISH, SCOUTS SURPRISED

Aloysius O'Kelly Irish/American, 1853-1941 CATTLE IN A STREAMBED

ALOYSIUS C. O'KELLY British (1853-c.1892) "Harbor at Concarneau" oil on panel, 9 x 13, signed lower left.