Lot 71
MAURICE CANNING WILKS A.R.H.A., R.U.A. (IRISH 1911-1984) §
ROUNDSTONE VILLAGE, CONNEMARA
Auction: 29 March 2014 at 10:00 GMT
Description
Signed, inscribed verso 'Wishing you a very happy Chirstmas, Maurice', watercolour and pencil
Dimensions
12.5cm x 18cm (5in x 7in)
Footnote
Note:
A native of Belfast, Maurice Canning Wilks was one of Ireland's most prolific landscape painters. His most flourishing period was between 1933 and 1940 when he held many exhibitions at the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin, as well as in Belfast, London, Boston, Montreal and Toronto. When only 19 he won the Dunville Scholarship which allowed him to study full time at the Belfast College of Art. After college, he moved to Cushenden, a village on the Antrim coast and became a professional fine artist. His paintings and watercolours typically feature the landscapes of the northern and western counties of Ireland, although he always had a special connection with the mountains, valleys and bog islands of Donegal and Connemara. This watercolour is a fine example of Wilks' style and subject matter. Loose fluid brushstrokes perfectly capture the romantic spirit of a bright sunny day in a rural village of Connemara.