190
152 Tony O’Malley HRHA (1913-2003)
Irish Place, Callan, Co. Kilkenny (1979)
Oil on board, 123 x 91cm (48 x 36”)
Signed with initials and dated 1979; signed again and inscribed with title verso
Provenance: From the Collection of George and Maura McClelland and on loan from them to IMMA from
1999 - 2004; Private Collection Dublin
Exhibited:
Selection of works from the McClelland Collection
, IMMA, Sept 2000 - Jan 2001; and
Tony O’Malley Exhibition
, IMMA, July 2001 - Jan 2002
Literature:
The Hunter Gatherer
, IMMA 2005, illustrated Fig. 94 p.100
Tony O’Malley came late to painting after a career in banking, and was in his late 60s and living in St Ives
when George McClelland first became aware of him, prompted by fellow artist F.E.McWilliam.When they
first met, O’Malley was not particularly successful, despite having painted and exhibited for thirty years, but
McClelland determined to change this. He relentlessly promoted the artist between 1980 and 1983, with
the result that O’Malley went from being virtually unknown in his homeland to being given an Arts Council
of Ireland Travelling Exhibition and having his work in important public collections such as the Bank of
Ireland, within a few years. A major retrospective in Dublin, Cork and Belfast in 1984 cemented his place
within the context of important Irish painters of the 20th century.
In the 1970s O’Malley married his wife Jane and they spent a lot of time in the Bahamas. Influenced by the
light and surroundings, much of his work from this time became more colourful and vibrant, moving away
from the more sombre tones of his work in the 1950s and 60s. The subject of this painting had a strong
emotional connection for O’Malley, being of Callan in County Kilkenny, the artist’s birthplace.
In 1990 he and his wife moved back to Ireland and in 1993 he was elected a Saoi of Aosdána.When he died
in 2003 he was regarded as one of Ireland’s leading painters, due in no small part to the influence and support
of George McClelland.The Irish Museum of Modern Art held a major retrospective of his work in 2005.
€15,000 - 20,000
