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Irish & International Art

Wednesday 14th May 2025

Lot 24 GEORGE CAMPBELL RHA RUA (1917 - 1979)

€3000 - 5000

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Place Absentee bid on Lot 24 GEORGE CAMPBELL RHA RUA (1917 - 1979) €3000 - 5000 Note: Completion of all fields required. Incomplete records will lead to unregistered bids. Terms and conditions.

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Description

Lot 24 GEORGE CAMPBELL RHA RUA (1917 - 1979)

Title: West of Ireland Bogland
Medium: Oil on panel.
Signature: Signed lower right.
Provenance: Christie's - Hamilton Osborne King, Dublin, 26th May, 1993, Lot 135; Private Collection; Christie's - Hamilton Osborne King, Dublin, 28th June, 1995, Lot 223; Private Collection
Framed.

Description
A brooding and powerful abstraction of the West of Ireland, this oil on board by George Campbell reveals his masterful command of form and texture. Earthy browns and rich blacks swirl in a composition suggestive of peat bogs and stone walls, evoking both place and emotion. Campbell’s gestural technique blurs landscape and mood in a dynamic and compelling vision.

Biography
George Campbell RHA (1917-1979) was a self-taught Irish artist whose vibrant work reflected a deep connection to both Irish and Spanish culture. Born in County Wicklow and raised in Belfast, he began painting during the Second World War, inspired in part by the dramatic scenes of the Belfast Blitz. This unconventional beginning marked the start of a prolific career that would span several decades and continents.

Emerging in the 1940s among a group of Northern artists later known as the “Belfast Boys,” Campbell quickly established a distinctive visual language. His early work depicted Irish subjects—Connemara landscapes, street scenes, and quiet interiors—with expressive colour and bold composition. From the early 1950s, regular visits to Spain introduced a new vibrancy to his palette and subject matter, leading to striking depictions of markets, musicians, and flamenco dancers that became a hallmark of his style.

His ability to fuse the atmospheres of Ireland and the Mediterranean earned him wide acclaim. Elected to the Royal Hibernian Academy in 1964, he also received recognition abroad, including an honour for his contribution to Spanish cultural life. Whether working in oil, watercolour, or rapid sketch, Campbell conveyed a love of life through colour, rhythm, and form.

A central figure in mid-20th century Irish painting, Campbell's work continues to resonate for its energy, warmth, and unique cross-cultural perspective. He is also remembered as part of a remarkable artistic family—his mother, Gretta Bowen, was a painter in her own right—and for his significant role in shaping the modern Irish artistic identity.

Estimate

€3000 - 5000

Dimensions

Image: 51 x 77 cm. Framed: 70 x 95 cm. (approx.)

Day

Wednesday 14th May 2025

Approximate time

18:19:10

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