Adam's IRISH OLD MASTERS 5th November 2024

116 79 ROBERT LOWE STOPFORD (1813 - 1898) Two Views of a Cork Harbour: Fota Island and A view of Monkstown & Passage Watercolours, each 49x 76cm € 6,000 - 8,000 Born in Dublin in 1813, Robert Lowe Stopford settled in Cork as a young man, gaining recognition as a landscape and marine watercolour artist, as well as a teacher. He exhibited in local artists’ circles alongside notable Cork painters such as James Mahoney, James Beale, John Hogan, and Daniel Maclise. Stopford also advertised his art classes for the forthcoming year. In 1841, he first exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) with works including Blackrock Castle , View of Roselawn Castle , and Carrigrohane Castle . Other notable pieces included a View of Anglesea Bridge at the Cork Art Union exhibition. The following year, he presented Blackrock Castle, View of Glanmire, and Kinalp Bridge . By 1842, he exhibited a magnificent view of Cork Opera House, a building constructed in the 1850s and originally known as the Athenaeum Theatre. By 1854, writing from 43 Patrick’s Street, Stopford advertised his art classes on Mondays and Thurs - days, emphasising the importance of topographical drawings and watercolours, which he consid - ered demanding “the same assiduity” as other classes. His finest works, including Spike Island and Hallbowline Harbour , were associated with the Irish Freeport. After a hiatus of seventeen years, Stopford reappeared at the RHA in 1958, exhibiting two views of North Wales alongside two Irish landscapes. This marked the commencement of a seven-year peri - od during which he exhibited annually. Following this productive phase, he took another extended break from the Academy, lasting fourteen years. Despite these interruptions, his legacy as a signifi - cant figure in Irish landscape and marine painting endures. The pair of watercolours in this lot, depicting Fota Island and Monkstown and Passage, illustrate the transport connections of nineteenth century Cork. Each scene features a paddle steamer and train, highlighting the integration of land and water travel. These modes of transport facilitated com - merce and tourism, enriching the region’s artistic landscape, as demonstrated in Stopford’s detailed representations. The combination of the steam vessel and railway underscores the technological advancements of the era and their impact on local society.