'In a Dublin Park, Light and Shade' by Walter Frederick Osborne

'In a Dublin Park, light and shade' (c.1895) by Walter Frederick Osborne; National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin

Walter Frederick Osborne, born on 17 June 1859 and died on 24 April 1903, was an Irish Impressionist painter. I thought it would be nice to use him for today's post since I haven't done a post on an Irish painter yet. With Impressionist painters, you immediately think of French painters, since the origin of the art movement lies in France. I like to become acquainted with Impressionist painters beyond France (see the Wikipedia page on the art movement and scroll down to 'Beyond France') and have already done posts on American Impressionists. Osborne was a landscape and portrait painter. In the early 1890s, his work began to show the influence of Impressionism. Brighter colours and an increased interest in shadow and sunlight. He portrayed women, children and elderly people. This painting shown here is one of the few paintings that sold instantly when it was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1895. The Impressionist influence of shade and light is evident in this painting but it's not just the visual that Osborne was interested in. The treatment of the figures shows Osborne's empathy with the working class of Dublin. I think it's a beautiful painting. I love the use of shade and light, and my eyes keep being drawn towards the care-worn face of the woman on the bench. I think Osborne captured the look on her face perfectly. For further reading, click here.