Morgan O’Driscoll auction ends 5th August 2025.
Two photogravures (from a folio of 10) made from Orpen originals with his authorisation and signed by him. See full details below.
LOT NUMBER: 301.
TITLE: The Breeze (1910).
ARTIST: SIR WILLIAM ORPEN RHA (1878-1931).
SIGNATURE: signed lower right and titled lower left.
MEDIUM: photogravure.
SIZE: 30 x 19½cm (11.8 x 7.7inches).
FRAMED SIZE: 46 x 35.5cm (18.1 x 14inches).
PROVENANCE: Private Collection.
Estimate €200 – €300.
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The original Watercolour drawing, upon which the photogravure is based, is in the Victoria & Albert Museum Print Room (Accession number : E.2153-1929).
The Breeze, original watercolour by Sir William Orpen.
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LOT NUMBER: 361.
TITLE: The Winner (also referred to as The Champ // The Boxer).
ARTIST: SIR WILLIAM ORPEN RHA (1878-1931).
SIGNATURE: signed in the plate lower right and titled.
MEDIUM: photogravure.
SIZE: 27½ x 19cm (10.8 x 7.5 inches).
FRAMED SIZE: 40 x 30.5cm (15.7 x 12 inches).
PROVENANCE: Private Collection.
Estimate: €200 – €300.
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The original:-
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Orpen’s brother-in-law, Jack Knewstub, asked Orpen to assemble a set of works which could be made into a suite of finished drawings to be issued as fine reproductions in a bound folio by the Chenil Gallery, London, of which he was owner. Consequently, in 1913 a Portfolio of Ten Drawings, mainly of the Howth water-colours, was reproduced photographically to look like etchings, by the photogravure* process, under the artist’s personal supervision, upon superior plate paper 23 x 18. A strictly limited edition of signed proofs cost £2 2s. (Packing and Carriage 2/- additional). A few impressions of the plates were issued at 5/- each. (P&P 1/- extra).
From the various Reviews, it is deduced that the most likely publication date was January 1914.
A bound copy of these plates (Drawings : Orpen) is in the library of the Victoria & Albert Museum. (Pressmark 45.A.42 dated 1914), together with a pamphlet containing Art Criticisms about them by various publications. (Pressmark 200.B.117 no. 119).
According to Kit, Orpen’s Daughter, in conversation with the author on 13 March 1996, the Prints were actually produced in Germany. She also said Orpen got into a bit of trouble because the reproduction was so good, some unscrupulous people were passing them off as original drawings.
*From close inspection of the print it appears that it is most likely to be an Aquatint Tone Photogravure. (See “How to Identify Prints” by Bamber Gascoigne, T&H, section 38a, for detail).
Link to Morgan O’Driscoll auction:-
Post by Dominic Lee, Orpen Research Archives.