Lot 84: Richard Thomas Moynan RHA (1856-1906) Boy with a

Richard Thomas Moynan RHA (1856-1906) Boy with a Cane Oil on canvas, 76 x 50.5cms, (30 x 20") Signed Richard Thomas Moynan's work is familiar to most through the impressive "Military Manoeuvres" (1891) which is on permanent display in The National Gallery of Ireland - one of their most popular works. Moynan studied at The Royal Hibernian Academy of Art, Antwerp in the company of Roderic O'Conor. He was the first Irishman to win, in 1883, the Albert prize for painting, ironically it was Roderic O'Conor who took second prize. This entitled him to private tuition from Karl Verlat and his own studio space, which enabled him to work on a much bigger scale than his contemporaries. He continued his studies in Paris at the famous Academy Julian under Robert Fleur and Bouguereau. He returned to Dublin renting studio space at Harold's Cross in 1886. Moynan was extremely popular and was elected President of the Dublin Sketching Club in 1889 and was also elected ARHA achieving full membership the following year 1890. He regularly used family to model in his paintings especially his daughter Bridget and his wife Suzanna and due to similarity of this child and Bridget the subject is thought to be the artist's son.