George Bernard O'Neill (1828-1917) - Late 19th Century Oil The Convalescent

Description

This charming domestic scene depicts a young girl tenderly offering flowers to an ailing child, rendered with fine detail that captures the gentle intimacy of the moment. Children were frequently the subject of O'Neill's genre scenes. Well presented in an ornate gilt-effect frame with scrolling acanthus detail. The frame also features a plaque with the title and artist. A label on the reverse reads 'Charles Roberson & Co', alongside a Christies auction lot number. Signed to the lower right. On panel.

Condition

Overall in very good condition. Some minor craquelure and a small area of overpainting to the left of the girl's head. A 5cm vertical split to the panel to the lower right, and a 2.5cm vertical split to the lower left. The splits are minor and appear stable. The frame is in good condition; however, there are some marks and scuffs, as well as some splitting to the moulding.

Size

29 x 24.5cm (11.4" x 9.6")
Framed Size: 45 x 41cm (17.7" x 16.1")

Artist Biography

Although born in Dublin, George Bernard O'Neill moved to London at the age of nine. He was initially schooled in Woolwich before entering the Royal Academy Schools in 1845. Within two years at the Schools, he was exhibiting at the Royal Academy, where his 1852 exhibit 'The Foundling' enhanced his reputation amongst his peers and the public. He became involved with a group of artists that would become the Cranbrook Colony of Artists. The name comes from a small village in Kent, which offered a pleasant, picturesque site for painting, as well as convenient railway access to London. He exhibited widely, including at the Tate Gallery, Walker Art Gallery, and the National Portrait Gallery.