Artist: William Conor RHA RUA ROI (1881-1968) Title: Time for a Laugh Signature: signed lower left Medium: wax crayon Size: 36 x 27cm (14.2 x 10.6in) Framed Size: 80.6 x 69cm (31.7 x 27.2in) Provenance: William Rodman and Co. Limited, Belfast (label verso); Private Collection a#morebtn { color: #de1d01; } a#morebtn:hover { cursor: pointer;} In this everyday scene, sketched probably in the 1930's, Conor depicts three women in a street-probably in the city of Belfast. Although the location is not identified, nor is there information about the people depicted, Conor captures a fleeting moment where the women laugh uproariously, as they en... Read more William Conor Lot 28 - 'Time for a Laugh' Estimate: €6,000 - €8,000 In this everyday scene, sketched probably in the 1930's, Conor depicts three women in a street-probably in the city of Belfast. Although the location is not identified, nor is there information about the people depicted, Conor captures a fleeting moment where the women laugh uproariously, as they enjoy a moment of mirth. By eliminating nearly all extraneous detail, Conor focuses attention on the women, and on their humorous encounter. They well may be street traders, more used to hardship and adversity than to easy times. In another drawing, shown at the Bell Gallery in Belfast, Conor sketched three young women, workers in the Belfast mills, also laughing at a shared joke. While providing a visual record of particular everyday incidents, these drawings are also a quiet homage to the lives of many. Born in Belfast in 1881, William Conor studied at the Government School of Design (now the Belfast College of Art), before working as a commercial artist and lithographer. During World War I, he received a significant commission, to paint portraits of solders and others involved in the war effort. By 1920, he had moved to London, where his work was promoted by the portrait painter John Lavery a fellow Belfast artist. In 1922, Conor was recommended by Lavery for another prestigious commission, to make a visual record of the opening of Parliament in Northern Ireland, and over the following decades, he received regular commissions to paint portraits of judges, politicians, aristocrats and army officers. However, today Conor is better-known for his depictions of the working people of Belfast and its surroundings; the shipbuilders, labourers, street musicians and washerwomen who struggled to maintain a livelihood, often in conditions of adversity. He painted shoppers in Belfast, their umbrellas raised to protect against driving rain, itinerant workers trudging along the road, and children playing in the street. Yet in spite of the hardships they faced, these people are depicted by Conor as resolute, smiling and cheerful, and the perennial popularity of his art is based largely on the respect he showed for people from all walks of life. Peter Murray, January 2022
Artist: William Conor RHA RUA ROI (1881-1968) Title: Time for a Laugh Signature: signed lower left Medium: wax crayon Size: 36 x 27cm (14.2 x 10.6in) Framed Size: 80.6 x 69cm (31.7 x 27.2in) Provenance: William Rodman and Co. Limited, Belfast (label verso); Private Collection a#morebtn { color: #de1d01; } a#morebtn:hover { cursor: pointer;} In this everyday scene, sketched probably in the 1930's, Conor depicts three women in a street-probably in the city of Belfast. Although the location is not identified, nor is there information about the people depicted, Conor captures a fleeting moment where the women laugh uproariously, as they en... Read more William Conor Lot 28 - 'Time for a Laugh' Estimate: €6,000 - €8,000 In this everyday scene, sketched probably in the 1930's, Conor depicts three women in a street-probably in the city of Belfast. Although the location is not identified, nor is there information about the people depicted, Conor captures a fleeting moment where the women laugh uproariously, as they enjoy a moment of mirth. By eliminating nearly all extraneous detail, Conor focuses attention on the women, and on their humorous encounter. They well may be street traders, more used to hardship and adversity than to easy times. In another drawing, shown at the Bell Gallery in Belfast, Conor sketched three young women, workers in the Belfast mills, also laughing at a shared joke. While providing a visual record of particular everyday incidents, these drawings are also a quiet homage to the lives of many. Born in Belfast in 1881, William Conor studied at the Government School of Design (now the Belfast College of Art), before working as a commercial artist and lithographer. During World War I, he received a significant commission, to paint portraits of solders and others involved in the war effort. By 1920, he had moved to London, where his work was promoted by the portrait painter John Lavery a fellow Belfast artist. In 1922, Conor was recommended by Lavery for another prestigious commission, to make a visual record of the opening of Parliament in Northern Ireland, and over the following decades, he received regular commissions to paint portraits of judges, politicians, aristocrats and army officers. However, today Conor is better-known for his depictions of the working people of Belfast and its surroundings; the shipbuilders, labourers, street musicians and washerwomen who struggled to maintain a livelihood, often in conditions of adversity. He painted shoppers in Belfast, their umbrellas raised to protect against driving rain, itinerant workers trudging along the road, and children playing in the street. Yet in spite of the hardships they faced, these people are depicted by Conor as resolute, smiling and cheerful, and the perennial popularity of his art is based largely on the respect he showed for people from all walks of life. Peter Murray, January 2022
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
