Artist: Lilian Jelly (19th/20th Century) Title: Eucalyptus Medium: oil on linen Size: 83 x 64½cm (32.7 x 25.4in) Framed Size: 93.5 x 95.5cm (36.8 x 37.6in) Provenance: James Bourlet and Sons, London (label verso); Collection of Sir Gerald Festus Kelly, Gloucester Place, London; Private Collection Exhibited: London, Royal Academy, 'The Exhibition of the Royal Academy', The 186th., 1954, Gallery XI, no. 564. a#morebtn { color: #de1d01; } a#morebtn:hover { cursor: pointer;} This large still life painting was conceived by an artist who, for strategic purposes, painted under the unusual pseudonym 'Lilian Jelly'. Her husband was Sir Gerald Festus Kelly, who owned the painting, was one of the most sought-after society portraitists in Britain during the first half of the tw... Read more Lilian Jelly Lot 216 - 'Eucalyptus' Estimate: €1,000 - €1,500 This large still life painting was conceived by an artist who, for strategic purposes, painted under the unusual pseudonym 'Lilian Jelly'. Her husband was Sir Gerald Festus Kelly, who owned the painting, was one of the most sought-after society portraitists in Britain during the first half of the twentieth century and president of the Royal Academy in London. As a result, during Kelly's tenure as President, Lilian 'Jane' Ryan, as she was more commonly known, exhibited under an alias to avoid her husband being accused of cronyism. This large painting, which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1954, displays an abundant pot of eucalyptus, showing pink flowering buds and wilting leaves. The cream ceramic pot - its presence overwhelmed by the chaotic plant's arrangement - struggles to maintain the gangly stems, some cannot sustain the weight of the leaves and droop accordingly. The reddish-brown backdrop is entirely plain and a light source illuminates the leaves from our right. The choice in painting this evergreen plant, indigenous to Australia, might well represent the Kellys' familiarity with the exotic; some of Gerald Kelly's most celebrated paintings were those that featured Burmese dancers. Lilian seems to have specialised in painting still life's of flowers and kitchen items, from 'Christmas Roses' in 1944 to 'Mushrooms and Peppers' in 1960, choosing a genre distinct from her husband's focus on portraiture.
Artist: Lilian Jelly (19th/20th Century) Title: Eucalyptus Medium: oil on linen Size: 83 x 64½cm (32.7 x 25.4in) Framed Size: 93.5 x 95.5cm (36.8 x 37.6in) Provenance: James Bourlet and Sons, London (label verso); Collection of Sir Gerald Festus Kelly, Gloucester Place, London; Private Collection Exhibited: London, Royal Academy, 'The Exhibition of the Royal Academy', The 186th., 1954, Gallery XI, no. 564. a#morebtn { color: #de1d01; } a#morebtn:hover { cursor: pointer;} This large still life painting was conceived by an artist who, for strategic purposes, painted under the unusual pseudonym 'Lilian Jelly'. Her husband was Sir Gerald Festus Kelly, who owned the painting, was one of the most sought-after society portraitists in Britain during the first half of the tw... Read more Lilian Jelly Lot 216 - 'Eucalyptus' Estimate: €1,000 - €1,500 This large still life painting was conceived by an artist who, for strategic purposes, painted under the unusual pseudonym 'Lilian Jelly'. Her husband was Sir Gerald Festus Kelly, who owned the painting, was one of the most sought-after society portraitists in Britain during the first half of the twentieth century and president of the Royal Academy in London. As a result, during Kelly's tenure as President, Lilian 'Jane' Ryan, as she was more commonly known, exhibited under an alias to avoid her husband being accused of cronyism. This large painting, which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1954, displays an abundant pot of eucalyptus, showing pink flowering buds and wilting leaves. The cream ceramic pot - its presence overwhelmed by the chaotic plant's arrangement - struggles to maintain the gangly stems, some cannot sustain the weight of the leaves and droop accordingly. The reddish-brown backdrop is entirely plain and a light source illuminates the leaves from our right. The choice in painting this evergreen plant, indigenous to Australia, might well represent the Kellys' familiarity with the exotic; some of Gerald Kelly's most celebrated paintings were those that featured Burmese dancers. Lilian seems to have specialised in painting still life's of flowers and kitchen items, from 'Christmas Roses' in 1944 to 'Mushrooms and Peppers' in 1960, choosing a genre distinct from her husband's focus on portraiture.
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