Beschreibung:

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 Aosd�na. 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. 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 Aosd�na. When he died in 2003 he was regarded as o