Beschreibung:

Attributed to James Sinton Sleator RHA (1889-1950) Self-Portrait in the Artist's Studio Oil on board, 46 x 30.5cm (18 x 12'') This self-portrait was inherited by the present owners some forty years ago and it was always thought to be by the noted Irish painter James Sinton Sleator After comparing this work with a number of other self-portraits by Sleator, two of which are in the National Gallery of Ireland, we can see no reason to doubt this attribution. Stylistically, it is very close to his work and on examination of his palette we can see the turquoise colour used on the right hand side is one that often appears in his other works, especially his still-life work. Most of his other known self-portraits are also unsigned. Sleator was born in Derrycarne, near Portadown, Co. Armagh and as both his parents were school-teachers they later settled in Belfast. In about 1903 Sleator entered the Belfast College of Art before enrolling in the Metropolitan School of Art in Dublin as a mature student in 1909. Sleator had a distinguished career at the Metropolitan School of Art where his contemporaries included Leo Whelan Albert Power Margaret Clarke and Sean Keating. It was here that he came under the influence of Sir William Orpen an influence that remained with him for the rest of his life. On leaving art college he became Orpen's studio assistant in London, a position he held on and off for the next fifteen years until Orpen's death in 1931. He actually finished some of Orpen's unfinished commissions after his death. It was Orpen who introduced the young Irish artist to Sir Winston Churchill to whom he ended up giving painting lessons. As well as working with Orpen, Sleator established his own successful practice as a portrait painter. The present work is thought to date to the mid to late 1920's. The artist is shown in a confident pose, while the female model cowers behind, initially looking rather innocent but the bright red shoes and lipstick suggest that this may not have been the case. At some levels this work is an 'Homage' to his teacher, who was also very fond of self-portraits. By 1941, at the onset of war, Sleator had moved back to Dublin permanently where he became a prominent member of the art world. This was the golden age of Irish portraiture and so 'Orpen's boys', Sleator, Leo Whelan and Sean O'Sullivan became the portraitists of the rich, famous and influential of Irish social and business circles. Sleator was well regarded by the critics and artists alike and on the death of Dermod O'Brien PRHA in 1945 he was appointed President of the RHA, a position he held until his own sudden death in Academy House in January 1950. Attributed to James Sinton Sleator RHA (1889-1950) Self-Portrait in the Artist's Studio Oil on board, 46 x 30.5cm (18 x 12'') This self-portrait was inherited by the present owners some forty years ago and it was always thought to be by the noted Irish painter James Sinton Sleator After comparing this work with a number of other self-portraits by Sleator, two of which are in the National Gallery of Ireland, we can see no reason to doubt this attribution. Stylistically, it is very close to his work and on examination of his palette we can see the turquoise colour used on the right hand side is one that often appears in his other works, especially his still-life work. Most of his other known self-portraits are also unsigned. Sleator was born in Derrycarne, near Portadown, Co. Armagh and as both his parents were school-teachers they later settled in Belfast. In about 1903 Sleator entered the Belfast College of Art before enrolling in the Metropolitan School of Art in Dublin as a mature student in 1909. Sleator had a distinguished career at the Metropolitan School of Art where his contemporaries included Leo Whelan Albert Power Margaret Clarke and Sean Keating. It was here that he came under the influence of Sir William Orpen an influence that remained with him for the rest of his life. On leavi