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Richard!omas Moynan RHA (1856-1906)
Invitation to go Haymaking
Oil on canvas, 56 x 26cm (22 x 30”)
Provenance: Sold in these rooms, 28th May 1997 (front cover
illustration), Lot. No. 41 , where purchased by current
owner
Moynan was born in Dublin and &rst studied medicine at the Royal
College of Surgeons, before attending the Metropolitan School of
Art with Roderic O’Conor. He trained at the Antwerp Academy
between 1883 and 1885 where he won &rst prize in painting from
life, and shared lodgings with fellow Irish artist Henry Allan. He
returned to Dublin in 1888 and was employed for a time by local
newspaper !e Union as a political cartoonist under the pseudonym
‘Lex’, but hoped to become renowned for large scale genre paintings
such as this. He exhibited regularly at the RHA between 1880 and
1905.
He was the principal recorder of Dublin city and county in the late
Victorian era, and was in%uenced by Osborne in his portrayal of
naturalistic scenes of village life. Moynan painted several pictures of
children such as this, which were popular amongst late nineteenth
century artists. Moynan brings his individual strong narrative quality
and his cultivated naivety belies a keen eye for detail and composition.
!is is one of two known versions of this work, the other was sold at
Christie’s London, 15th March 1985, Lot No. 85
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