Bea Orpen
Bea Orpen was born in Carrickmines, Co. Dublin in 1913. Orpen took private lessons on the fundamentals of colour and line with Lilian Davidson, going on to the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art studying with Sean O'Sullivan. Orpen moved to London and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, the School of Typography and textile and commercial design at the London County Council Central School of Arts and Crafts. www.whytes.ie Orpen returned to Ireland in 1939, having her first solo show that October in the Country Shop, St Stephen's Green. Bea Orpen worked primarily in gouache and watercolour and exhibited religiously with the Watercolour society from 1936 to 1980. Orpen suffered a brain haemorrhage in May 1978, which left her permanently invalided and hospitalised. She was elected an honorary member of the RHA in May 1980. Two retrospectives of her work were held, in 1981 at the Gorry gallery, Dublin, and in 1995 at the Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda. A building on the Dublin City University campus is named in her honour. www.whytes.ie
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'WARM AFTERNOON, CLOGHERHEAD, 1952'
- Price Realised: 2,300
- Sale: 25 April 2006
- signed and dated lower right; inscribed on reverse
- 23 by 34cm., 9.25 by 13.2in.
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'ST. PETER'S PLACE, DROGHEDA'
- Price Realised: 2,200
- Sale: 27 April 2004
- watercolour
- 23 by 18cm., 9 by 7.25in.
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'ST. PETER'S PLACE, DROGHEDA'
- Price Realised: 2,000
- Sale: 25 March 2024
- watercolour
- 9 x 7½in. (22.86 x 19.05cm)
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'KILTOORISH LAKE, ROSBEG, COUNTY DONEGAL'
- Price Realised: 2,000
- Sale: 25 November 2019
- gouache
- 13Ό x 19Όin. (33.66 x 48.90cm)
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'GULLS FLYING BY ROCKY CLIFFS ON A FINE DAY'
- Price Realised: 2,000
- Sale: 18 February 2003
- watercolour
- 37 by 52cm., 14.5 by 20.5in.
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'WARM AFTERNOON, CLOGHERHEAD, COUNTY LOUTH, 1952'
- Price Realised: 1,800
- Sale: 25 March 2024
- gouache
- 9½ x 13Όin. (24.13 x 33.66cm)
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'ARDFERT CATHEDRAL, COUNTY KERRY, circa 1961'
- Price Realised: 1,800
- Sale: 25 April 2006
- signed lower left; inscribed on reverse
- 37 by 51cm., 14.5 by 20in.
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'NEWFOUNDWELL HOUSE, DROGHEDA'
- Price Realised: 1,700
- Sale: 25 April 2006
- signed lower right
- 30 by 44cm., 12 by 17.5in.
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'BOATS BEACHED AT MORNINGTON'
- Price Realised: 1,600
- Sale: 25 April 2006
- signed lower right
- 36 by 51cm., 14 by 20in.
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'THE COAST, COUNTY DONEGAL'
- Price Realised: 1,600
- Sale: 08 May 2002
- watercolour
- 25 by 36cm., 10 by 14in.
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'COLLECTION OF FOUR SKETCHBOOKS, c.1931-1934'
- Price Realised: 1,500
- Sale: 09 December 2018
- watercolour, pencil and ink; (unframed)
- 10 x 8in. (25.40 x 20.32cm)
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'BUNOWEN, CONNEMARA'
- Price Realised: 1,500
- Sale: 29 November 2005
- gouache on tinted paper
- 34 by 48cm., 13.5 by 19in.
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'SHARPS'S COTTAGE, CLOONEY, CO. DONEGAL'
- Price Realised: 1,333
- Sale: 13 March 2001
- gouache
- 32 by 51cm., 12.5 by 20in.
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'BREEZY DAY'
- Price Realised: 1,250
- Sale: 14 March 2011
- gouache on buff-coloured paper
- 34 by 48cm., 13.5 by 18.7 5in.
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'PORT ORIEL, CLOGHERHEAD, COUNTY LOUTH'
- Price Realised: 1,100
- Sale: 28 November 2011
- gouache
- 36 by 52cm., 14.2 5 by 20.5in.
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'WEST OF IRELAND LANDSCAPE'
- Price Realised: 1,050
- Sale: 28 September 2009
- watercolour
- 29 by 42cm., 11.2 5 by 16.5in.
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'BETTYSTOWN'
- Price Realised: 1,000
- Sale: 24 November 2014
- gouache
- 13 x 18in. (33.02 x 45.72cm)
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'KILCLOONEY DOLMEN, COUNTY DONEGAL, 1957'
- Price Realised: 1,000
- Sale: 28 September 2009
- gouache and watercolour
- 34 by 49cm., 13.2 5 by 19.2 5in.
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'COTTAGES BY A LAKE'
- Price Realised: 900
- Sale: 01 October 2018
- watercolour and gouache
- 13 x 19½in. (33.02 x 49.53cm)
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'NEWTOWN HOUSE, TERMONFECKIN, COUNTY LOUTH, 1944'
- Price Realised: 850
- Sale: 23 February 2015
- gouache and pencil
- 9.30 x 13in. (23.62 x 33.02cm)
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'RENOIR'S GARDEN, CAGNES'
- Price Realised: 850
- Sale: 22 February 2005
- gouache on tinted paper
- 23 by 29cm., 9 by 11.5in.
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'LANDSCAPE, POSSIBLY COUNTY KERRY, 1964'
- Price Realised: 750
- Sale: 15 March 2010
- gouache heightened with white on tinted paper
- 30 by 44cm., 11.7 5 by 17.2 5in.
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'IN AN IPSWICH GARDEN, 1949'
- Price Realised: 700
- Sale: 03 April 2017
- gouache on buff-coloured paper
- 9 x 9in. (22.86 x 22.86cm)
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'COASTAL SCENE'
- Price Realised: 600
- Sale: 17 February 2020
- gouache
- 13Ύ x 19in. (34.93 x 48.26cm)
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'ESTUARY OF THE RIVER BOYNE'
- Price Realised: 600
- Sale: 30 November 2009
- watercolour
- 35 by 48cm., 13.7 5 by 18.7 5in.
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'CONEY HALL, MORNINGTON'
- Price Realised: 500
- Sale: 23 February 2015
- gouache
- 13.20 x 19½in. (33.53 x 49.53cm)
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'DEEP IN THE WOOD'
- Price Realised: 482
- Sale: 13 March 2001
- watercolour
- 21 by 28cm., 8.25 by 11.2in.
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'LANDSCAPE WITH COTTAGE AND MOUNTAINS IN THE DISTANCE'
- Price Realised: 480
- Sale: 05 October 2020
- gouache
- 12Ύ x 19in. (32.39 x 48.26cm)