Lot 184: William Grattan (c.1792-c.1821)

William Grattan (c.1792-c.1821)
A farm labourer with his pitchfork standing by a wheelbarrow
pencil and watercolour
17¼ x 15 1/8 in. (43.9 x 38.4 cm.)

Crookshank & Glin, The Watercolours of Ireland, 1994, pp. 136-7, pl. 173.

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The two Grattan brothers, George (1787-1819) and William were both trained at the Royal Dublin Society Schools and worked largely in Dublin depicting genre scenes with significant skill and detail, George becoming slightly more famous as a result of his work in oils. The present watercolour is a delightful illustration of rural life in Ireland, depicting a farm labourer pausing from his work to lean up against his pitchfork next to his wheelbarrow. The focus is on the figure on whom Grattan has employed intricate detailing, such as the lines on the man's face, the tears in his jacket, the folds in his breeches and his worn out boots.