Adam's The Irish Library Wednesday 17th April 2019

130 159 ATTRIBUTED TO RICHARD CARVER (C.1730-1791) Elegant Fisherfolk on the Dargle below the Dahool Oil on canvas, 100 x 126cm € 30,000 - 50,000 Provenance: Private Collection, Ireland The attribution given to Carver by the late Knight of Glin is on stylistic grounds following an examination in 2002. The painting had been thought to have been by George Barret (c.1732 – 1784) who, along with numerous others had painted this same view. Barret, under the patronage of Viscount Powerscourt had painted repeatedly in the DUHD LQFOXGLQJ D VLPLODUO\ SRVLWLRQHG YLHZ DOVR ZLWK HOHJDQW ȴJXUHV DV GLG :LOOLDP $VKIRUG ZLWK KLV Ȇ$ 9LHZ RI WKH 'DUJOH 9DOOH\ &RXQW\ :LFNORZ 6KRZLQJ WKH 0RVV +RXVH DQG (OHJDQW )LJXUHV LQ WKH )RUHJURXQGȇ and James Coy, who ex- hibited views of the Dargle and the Powerscourt Waterfall at the Society of Artists in 1772. It was also the subject of an aquatint after Thomas Sautelle Roberts. Carver, the younger, studied under his father Richard (d. 1754), a landscape painter fromWaterford and also under Robert West at the Dublin Society Schools. Strickland notes that he had a distinguished career as a scene painter in Dublin and subsequently in London. ‘On the revival at Crow Street on 29th November, 1768 of the popular old pantomime, Ȇ$ 7ULS WR WKH 'DUJOHȇ a ȊQHZ VFHQH RI WKH ZDWHUIDOO SDLQWHG E\ 0U &DUYHUȋ ZDV VKRZQ IRU WKH ȴUVW WLPH This set painting was described as an ‘ $VWRQLVKLQJ (΍HFW RI WKH 5HSUHVHQWDWLRQ RI WKH :DWHUIDOO DW 3RZHUVFRXUWȇ Emily, Countess of Kildare wrote in 1762 that ȆWKH VWDJH VHW RI WKH ZDWHUIDOO ZDV WKH SUHWWLHVW WKLQJ Ζ HYHU VDZ PXFK EH\RQG WKDW DW WKH RSHUD DQG VR OLNH WKDW DW 3RZHUVFRXUW WKDW \RX DFWXDOO\ IDQF\ \RXUVHOI LQ WKH YHU\ SODFH ȇ The present work is one of a number of known works depicting views on the Dargle, near Powerscourt, Co. Wick- ORZ $ ODUJH FOL΍ WR WKH OHIW GRPLQDWHV WKH FRPSRVLWLRQ LWV WKUXVWLQJ YHUWLFDO IRUPDWLRQV RI URFN JLYLQJ WKH VHQVH RI HQRUPLW\ UHTXLUHG E\ QRWLRQV RI WKH VXEOLPH $ ULYHU ȵRZV UDSLGO\ WKURXJK WRUUHQWV IRUPHG E\ URFNV IDOOHQ IURP WKH FOL΍ DERYH 7KH ERXOGHUV GLYLGLQJ WKH WRUUHQWV DUH GHOLEHUDWHO\ DQG V\PPHWULFDOO\ ODLG RXW OLNH VWHSSLQJ VWRQHV 2Q the brow of the nearest hillock to the right a small gazebo-like structure suggests that the setting is part of a land- VFDSHG HVWDWH UDWKHU WKDQ D QDWXUDO XQWDPHG VFHQH ΖQ WKH IRUHJURXQG ZHOO GUHVVHG ȴJXUHV DPXVH WKHPVHOYHV Ȃ D JHQWOHPDQ DQG ODG\ WRZDUG WKH FHQWUH RI WKH FRPSRVLWLRQ ȴVK IURP D ERXOGHU ZKLOH WR WKH ULJKW D JURXS RI WKUHH converse as they walk. One of these seems to point out the natural attractions of the scenery suggesting that they DUH HDUO\ WRXULVWV WKHPVHOYHV GHYRWHHV RI WKH VXEOLPH :KLOH WKH ȴJXUHV JLYH VFDOH WR DQG VWUHVV WKH LPPHQVLW\ RI WKH ODQGVFDSH DW WKH VDPH WLPH WKHLU SHDFHDEOH HQMR\PHQW RI LW VWUROOLQJ DQG ȴVKLQJ EHIRUH SHUKDSV WDNLQJ WHD LQ the gazebo or pavilion above, somehow tames and civilizes the scene. The painting is carefully and artfully composed. It is constructed from a series of diagonal and horizontal lines with a strong central focus created by the recession of the landscape through the gorge and the carefully positioned boulders at the very centre of the picture. These compositional devices, which could be seen as crudely schematic in the hands of a lesser artist, are here subtly reinforced by the fall of the sunlight along the diagonal from upper left to lower right and particularly by the glorious burst of sunlight which illuminates the vista glimpsed through WKH JDS LQ WKH URFNV 3DUDGR[LFDOO\ GHVSLWH WKH IDVW ȵRZLQJ ZDWHU WKH KDUPRQLRXV V\PPHWU\ RI WKH SLFWXUH DQG LWV XQLȴHG SDOHWWH JLYH D VWUDQJHO\ VWLOO DQG SHDFHIXO IHHO WR WKH SLFWXUHVTXH YLHZ RI WKH VXEOLPH