William O'Brien, M.P.
Artist
Sir William Orpen
(1878 - 1931)
Date1905
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions75 x 62 cm
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineCollection & image © Hugh Lane Gallery.
Lane Gift, 1912.
Object number45
DescriptionWilliam O'Brien, M.P. (1852-1928) was born in Mallow. He was educated in Queens College Cork and in 1869 became a reporter and later editor of 'United Ireland'. He was imprisoned in Kilmainham jail. When the Land League was outlawed, he became M.P. for Mallow following his arrest in 1890. He then fled to the United States, but served his sentence after he returned on the fall of Parnell. He failed to settle the discord between unionist and nationalist. He was opposed to the establishment of the Irish Free State.In 1901 Hugh Lane became fired with the idea of creating a modern art gallery in Dublin and he commissioned John Butler Yeats to paint a series of portraits of distinguished Irishmen and later Sir William Orpen continued the task adding portraits including this one. All of Orpen's portraits commissioned by Lane were presented to the Gallery.
On View
Not on view
