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The Art of Sir William Orpen

The dazzling Irish painter created portraits with an amazing force of precision.


ne of my favorite artists has always been the great Irish painter Sir William Orpen (1878 - 1931). His masterful portraits are extraordinarily vivid, the combined product of superb draftsmanship, rich color, and an unerring control of tonal values. He was first and foremost a painter—the strong, decisive brushstrokes are placed with athletic vigor and uncanny accuracy. There never seems to be an ounce of hesitancy or indecision—every stroke registers like a clear, precise note of music. I offer four examples for you to study:

3. Portrait of Sir Robert Laird Borden

In the portrait of Lord Borden, the artist again gives us an "unfinished" vignette, but here the dark background color contrasts strikingly with the white of the canvas. The subtle tonal relationships of President Wilson's face are replaced with a high-contrast light-and-shade pattern. One entire half of the head is in shade, but the bright reflected light forces the darks to the very center of the face. An extraordinary concept for a portrait, requiring daring and virtuosity, two qualities Orpen has in great measure!

1919, Oil on canvas
30 x 25 inches
National Archives of Canada

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