Beschreibung:

Artist: Daniel O'Neill (1920-1974) Title: Woman and Two Children Signature: signed 'D O Neill' top right and titled verso Medium: oil on board Size: 46 x 35½cm (18.1 x 14in) Framed Size: 71.7 x 61.4cm (28.2 x 24.2in) Provenance: Private Collection USA; These Auction Rooms, 30th April 2018 lot 34 where purchased by the present owner a#morebtn { color: #de1d01; } a#morebtn:hover { cursor: pointer;} In this painting, O'Neill depicts a woman holds a baby swaddled in white. In front of the woman can be seen the head and shoulders of a young girl. In the background are suggestions of architectural forms; perhaps a church interior. The baby is dressed in what could be Christening robes, and the sen... Read more Daniel O'Neill Lot 54 - 'Woman and Two Children' Estimate: €15,000 - €25,000 In this painting, O'Neill depicts a woman holds a baby swaddled in white. In front of the woman can be seen the head and shoulders of a young girl. In the background are suggestions of architectural forms; perhaps a church interior. The baby is dressed in what could be Christening robes, and the sense of timelessness conveyed in the painting is not unlike that of a Greek or Russian icon. The theme of motherhood, of women and their children, occurs constantly in the art of Daniel O'Neill Born in 1920, the son of an electrician, he trained in that same trade, working for a time in the Belfast shipyards. He also worked as a housepainter, which taught him skills allowing him to experiment with colours and textures, as is evident in this work. His upbringing, in a city of close-knit families and traditional roles, filters through in O'Neill's paintings, which celebrate the lives of humble and unpretentious people. Unable to afford to attend art college as a full time student, O'Neill took evening classes in life drawing at the Belfast College of Art, where he became friendly with fellow-artist Gerard Dillon and worked for a time in the studio of Sidney Smith another evening student at the College of Art. The first exhibition of O'Neill's paintings was held in 1941, at the Mol Gallery in Belfast, and shortly afterwards he was taken on by the Victor Waddington Gallery in Dublin, which allowed him to paint full time. In 1949, he visited Paris, seeing at first hand the work of painters such as Vlaminck and Utrillo. The influence of these artists is also a key to understanding O'Neill's art. Not long after he moved with his wife and child to Conlig, Co Down, where George Campbell and Gerard Dillon were also living. Having become a member of the Ulster Contemporary Group, in 1958 O'Neill moved to London, and also travelled on the Continent. A decade later he was in Dublin, designing stage sets for Sean O'Casey's play Juno and the Paycock. In the early 1970's he returned to Belfast, but the outbreak of the 'Troubles' affected him badly, as did the resulting closure of the McClelland Gallery, where his paintings were shown. He died in 1974, aged just fifty-four. Peter Murray, March 2023