Category: 3MainLandingPainting

Title: ‘Jane Herbert.’

Portrait of a woman in a black dress with a square lace-trimmed neckline and a white lace cap with black ribbon. She is depicted looking out at the viewer and wears a heavy black necklace. Dated 1874.

Jane Herbert (1823-1898), was the sister of Henry Arthur Herbert of Muckross (d. 1866). She married William Hedges-White in London in 1845 and was titled Countess of Bantry from July 1868. A portrait of her daughter, Lady Elizabeth Leigh, also hangs here on the Main Landing.

Artist: Sir Thomas Jones (b. 1823?) was a foundling brought up by the philanthropic Archdale family of Kildare Place, Dublin. He began his artistic studies in 1833 in the schools of the Royal Dublin Society. In 1842 Jones entered Trinity College Dublin but did not take his degree. From 1843 to 1846 he travelled in Europe, developing his artistic skills and established himself as a painter upon his return to Dublin. Jones established himself as a successful portrait painter during the 1850s and was elected a member of the Royal Hibernian Academy in 1860. In 1869 he was elected president of the academy and in April 1880 he was knighted by the lord lieutenant, the duke of Marlborough. Jones died 10 May 1893 at his home, 41 Morehampton Road, Dublin.

Oils on Canvas

76.5 x 63.5 cm

Framed: Framed: 96 x 85.5 cm

Untitled

A photographic facsimile of a three-quarter-length portrait of Mary Balfour (1818-1893). She is dressed in a white, low-necked, pleated dress with full sleeves. Mary is resting her right elbow upon a table while her right hand holds her beaded necklace. She is depicted looking to the viewer’s left. The background appears to consist of heavy fabric drapes, gold, green and blue in colour.

Mary was born in East Lothian, Scotland, the second child and second daughter of James Balfour (1773-1846) and Lady Eleanor Maitland (1790-1869). Her father James was the second son of John Balfour the fifth Laird of Balbirnie in Fife. James served as a clerk in the East India Company and later amassed a fortune by securing a contract to provide provisions to the British Navy. Mary married Henry Arthur Herbert of Muckross (No. 5) in 1837 and the couple built the present Muckross House, which was completed in 1843.

Artist Unknown

Untitled.

This is a photographic facsimile of a three-quarter length portrait of Henry Arthur Herbert (1815-1866) of Muckross. He is depicted standing and looking to viewer’s right. Herbert’s right hand rests upon a table, while his left rests upon his hip. Dated 1842 at bottom right.

Together with his wife Mary Balfour, Herbert was responsible for the building of the present Muckross House, which was completed in 1843. A portrait of Mary hangs immediately to the right (No. 6).

Artist: George Richmond, at bottom right. Richmond was born in London in 1809, and was the best-known member of a family of English painters. He studied at the Royal Academy and was one of the group of William Blake’s followers known as the Ancients. From about 1830 Richmond turned from poetic and religious themes to portraiture and became very successful. He was highly prolific and his account books list about 2,500 portrait paintings and drawings. Richmond died in London in 1896.

Title: ‘Lady Elizabeth Leigh.’

Portrait of a young woman with brown hair piled high. She is dressed in black with a wide lace collar and looks out at the viewer.

Elizabeth Leigh (b. 1847) was the daughter of Jane Herbert (later Countess of Bantry) and the niece of Henry Arthur Herbert of Muckross (d. 1866). Elizabeth’s father was William Hedges-White of Bantry House. In August 1874 Elizabeth married Egerton Leigh at St George’s Church, Hanover Square, London. Elizabeth died in 1880. A portrait of her mother, Jane Herbert, also hangs here on the Main Landing (No. 7).

Artist: Unknown

Oils on Canvas

62 x 73.5 cm

Framed: 97 x 84 cm

Title: ‘Eugene Tangney.’

A seated man looks directly at the viewer. He holds a rifle in his right hand while his left hand rests upon his lap.

Eugene Tangney served as Head Gamekeeper on the Muckross Estate for both the Herbert and Bourn Vincent families. Aside from protecting the game from poachers, he arranged various aspects of field sport on the estate. This portrait is believed to depict Eugene Tangney c. 1940.

Artist: Seán O’Sullivan.

Born in Dublin in 1906 O’Sullivan entered the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art in 1926 where one of his teachers was Sean Keating. O’Sullivan also undertook a course in lithography at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London. He met and married art student Rene Mouw in London and the pair spent their early married years studying in Paris. In the early 1930s the couple settled in Dublin where O’Sullivan was on friendly terms with many of Ireland’s best-known writers, actors, poets and painters. He was a respected Irish portrait painter and he exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy. O’Sullivan died in 1964.

Oil on Canvas

c. 101 x 91 cm

Framed: c. 115 x 104.5 cm

Untitled

The painting depicts a rough, boggy, upland area with a number of fallen trees and a mountain rising in the background.

Oils on Canvas 79 x 126 cm Framed: 98 x 142 cm

Artist: Richard Henry Albert Willis was born in Dingle, Co. Kerry in July 1853. He moved to Cork as a child and was apprenticed there, c. 1869, to architect Arthur Hill. Willis attended Cork School of Art as well as the National Art Training School in South Kensington, London. Between 1882 and 1892 Willis held the post of Headmaster of Manchester School of Art. Willis exhibited at the Royal Academy London from 1882 to 1899. He died in 1905 and is buried in Rathcormac, Co. Cork.

Untitled.

Untitled. The painting depicts two gable ends of a stone-built, slate-clad house, partly obscured by hollyhocks and other county-garden type flowers. The house is believed to be Ballydowney House, Killarney. Part of a grass verge is visible at bottom left, bordered on the right by a pathway. Dated 1898 at lower right corner.

Artist: Richard Henry Albert Willis was born in Dingle, Co. Kerry in July 1853. He moved to Cork as a child and was apprenticed there, c. 1869, to architect Arthur Hill. Willis attended Cork School of Art as well as the National Art Training School in South Kensington, London. Between 1882 and 1892 Willis held the post of Headmaster of Manchester School of Art. Willis exhibited at the Royal Academy London from 1882 to 1899. He died in 1905 and is buried in Rathcormac, Co. Cork.

Oils on Canvas

122 x 94 cm

Framed: 155 x 130 cm