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Captain Richard Brydges Beechey RHA (1808-1895)
Upper Lake, Killarney taken near the Tunnel
Oil on canvas, 77 x 110cm (30¼ x 43¼”)
Signed and dated 1865. Inscribed with title on the stretcher verso
Provenance: Richard Green Gallery, London (label verso)
Exhibited: RHA Annual Exhibition 1873 Cat. No 158 costing 63.0.0
Richard Brydges Beechey was the third son of the noted portrait painter Sir William Beechey (1753-1839).
The foremost marine painter of his day, Beechey began his life by following his brother into the Navy in 1821.
His career saw services all over the globe, much of which is recorded in sketches and oils. However in 1831 he
was invalided out of the Navy and into the Survey of Ireland for the next thirty years. His name is listed as the
responsible officer on many of the charts of the Irish coastline.
During this period Beechey was a regular exhibitor at the Royal Hibernian Academy and whilst the majority
of his works have a maritime flavour, the present work entitled
Upper Lake, Killarney, taken near the Tunnel
was
exhibited in 1873 (Cat. No. 158). The painting was executed in 1865; therefore we must presume that in the
interim it had remained in the artist’s possession; perhaps a happy memory of a holiday in the area, as it was
one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland in the 19th century.
Of course tourists had been coming to Killarney since the 18th century, but in the 19th century a rash of
popular guide books including Mr & Mrs Hall’s Tour of Ireland published in 1841 helped the explosion of
visitor numbers. The visit of Queen Victoria in 1861 gave the royal seal of approval, and further fuelled the
tourist boom to the area.
This view of the Upper Lake is taken from a much described vantage point looking down toward Ronayne’s
Island. It depicts an exceptionally active day on the lake, with boating parties coming and going. A carriage
in the tunnel illustrates the popular jaunting routes and the entire is watched on by two relaxed gentlemen
fishermen.
Throughout his career in the Navy and Survey, Beechey sketched from life and the accuracy and detail in the
present work provide us with a wonderful snapshot of an idyllic day in Killarney.
€15,000 - 20,000
