Description:

Daniel O'Neill (1920-1974), Irish

FUNFAIR

oil on hardboard
signed lower left; titled to nameplate
16.3 x 24.3 in — 41.5 x 61.7 cm

Estimate: $10,000—15,000

    Provenance:
  • Private Collection, Toronto, ON
  • Dimensions:
  • 16.3 x 24.3 in — 41.5 x 61.7 cm
  • Artist Name:
  • Daniel O'Neill (1920-1974)
  • Exhibited:
  • Daniel O’Neill, Paintings at Victor Waddington's Gallery, 1955, no. 6
  • Medium:
  • oil on hardboard
  • Notes:
  • In her recent monograph, Daniel O’Neill: Romanticism & Friendships, Karen Reihill sheds new light on this Belfast-born artist. More than 45 years after his death, the research made by Reihill allows us to better discover a painter influenced by the French Masters.

    The son of an electrician, born during the War of Independence, O’Neill was a Catholic. Self-taught, O’Neill would paint watercolours during the day, a practice which he funded by working a night job. “His early paintings after the bombing of Belfast in 1941 seemed to reflect a man who had witnessed human despair and suffering in addition to experiencing the physical damage to the fabric of his city.”[1]

    Following the advice of painter Gerard Dillon, O’Neill crossed the border between North and South in 1942 and settled in Dublin. There he met his first wife, Eileen Lyle. His first exhibition in Dublin with Dillon was held at the Contemporary Painters Gallery. As a result, he gained a gallery contract with art dealer Victor Waddington, and in 1945 a very successful solo show was held at the Waddington Galleries. Finally able to work as an artist full time, O’Neill was included in several collaborative shows with the "Four Northern Painters" – Gerard Dillon, George Campbell and Neville Johnson – in Ireland, Los Angeles, New York City and Boston, as well as London and Amsterdam.

    Sponsored by Waddington, the artist travelled to Paris in 1948. The planned three-month trip turned into a six-month stay. Inspired by works by Georges Rouault, Maurice de Vlaminck and Maurice Utrillo, new bohemian scenes of life in Paris and its cafés appeared in O’Neill’s work. “At the age of 30 O’Neill’s career seemed to have reached the status he had craved. He had fulfilled his ambition of becoming a full-time painter. He was in popular demand at home and had visited Paris, still the capital of the art world, and his work was included in group exhibitions in Europe, Canada and the US. Yet around this time something was wrong.”[2] His stormy private life, overflowing with drinking and infidelity, led to the end of his first marriage and the estrangement from his family and daughter. This turmoil impacted his art as well, and O’Neill stopped painting for a few years.

    In 1952, the artist left Dublin for London, where his wife and daughter had settled. In search of new markets, Victor Waddington, O’Neill’s dealer, sent the works to his brother’s gallery in Montreal, the George Waddington Galleries. The paintings offered here, Funfair and Portrait of a Girl, were probably part of this shipment.

    [1] https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/daniel-o-neill-a-mysterious-painter-pervaded-by-darkness-1.4451633
    [2] Ibid.
  • Condition:
  • Good overall condition. Small areas of slight craquelure.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

The Auctioneers will not undertake packing or shipping. The purchaser must designate and arrange for the services of an independent shipper and be responsible for all shipping and insurance expenses. The Auctioneers will, upon request, provide names of professional packers and shippers but will not be held responsible for the service or have any liability for providing this information. Reliable pre-auction estimates of shipping costs of lots offered in this sale may be obtained from:

PICK UP & SHIPPING FROM TORONTO:

When contacting the shippers please have your invoice # and item information ready.

PakShip
Attn: Taurus Chan
Tel: 905.470.6874
416.293.8225
Fax: 905.470.6875
[email protected]
www.pakship.ca

Safer Shipping
Attn: Perry Hehn
Tel: 416.299.3367
Fax: 416.299.9750
[email protected]
www.safershipping.ca

PICK UP & SHIPPING FROM VANCOUVER:

Please note that lots in our Waddington's West auctions are located in Vancouver, B.C. When contacting the shippers please have your invoice # and item information ready.

The UPS Store 424
Tel: 604-559-5446
[email protected]

PakMail
Tel: 604-472-6245
[email protected]
www.pakmailcanada.com

CITES WARNING:
Restrictions exist regarding the import and export of species protected under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). This includes but is not limited to items made of or containing bone (whalebone etc.), ivory, tortoise shell, seal skin, rhinoceros horn and any other animal part and is strictly controlled or forbidden by most countries. Please review your country's laws before bidding on pieces made of or containing these restricted items. It is the sole responsibility of the buyer to inquire about and obtain the proper permits for artwork purchased that may contain restricted materials, if such permit can be obtained. Please contact the department for further assistance. For more information please visit www.cites.org

May 29, 2024 6:00 PM EDT
Toronto, ON, CA

Waddington's

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
CA$0 CA$249 CA$10
CA$250 CA$499 CA$25
CA$500 CA$999 CA$50
CA$1,000 CA$1,999 CA$100
CA$2,000 CA$4,999 CA$250
CA$5,000 CA$9,999 CA$500
CA$10,000 CA$19,999 CA$1,000
CA$20,000 CA$49,999 CA$2,000
CA$50,000 CA$99,999 CA$5,000
CA$100,000 CA$299,999 CA$10,000
CA$300,000 CA$999,999 CA$25,000
CA$1,000,000 CA$1,999,999 CA$50,000
CA$2,000,000 CA$2,999,999 CA$100,000
CA$3,000,000 CA$4,999,999 CA$200,000
CA$5,000,000 + CA$300,000