Bidspirit auction | 19th Century Impressionist Oil on

19th Century Impressionist Oil on Canvas - 19th Century Impressionist Oil on Canvas by Aloysius O'Kelly (1853-1936). Depicting Forrest with Stream. Signed Lower Right. Has minor tear upper left. Has paint loss with indentation lower right - Approx. 2” long. Needs a cleaning. Framed. Measures 34.25” tall x 28.5” wide. Irish artist Aloysius O’Kelly was an enigmatic figure, who travelled extensively throughout his career. He was among the first Irish artists to attend the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1874, and would establish his reputation in the salons of France with realist genre scenes such as Mass in a Connemara Cabin, exhibited in the 1884 Paris Salon. In the early 1880s, he worked in a journalistic capacity as a ‘Special Artist’ for British publications, covering the anti-colonial campaigns of the Irish Land Wars and the Sudanese nationalist movement. The extent of O’Kelly’s interest or involvement in politics is unclear. He had a close relationship with his brother James, an Irish nationalist politician and member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and in 1897 the artist put himself forward for election in South Roscommon, without success. However, O’Kelly was absent during the turbulent years of the Irish revolutionary period, living primarily in Brittany and New York. In 1926 he returned to Ireland at 73 years of age, with the intention of creating a new series of paintings of Irish national monuments. His letters to his nephew in New York, James Herbert, provide a first-hand account of life in the newly independent Free State of Ireland. In particular, his descriptions of ruined public, military and residential buildings record the aftermath of the Irish Civil War and the War of Independence. All invoices must be paid within 24 hours of the sale. We offer multiple shipping options, please read the terms as they have changed. We also offer Pick-Ups Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Monday immediately following the sale. BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. PLEASE READ THE NEW TERMS!!!