William Osborne, RHA (Irish, 1823-1901)
Equestrian portrait of Thomas Conolly, MP, of Castletown, mounted on a dappled grey hunter in a wooded landscape
Oil on canvas
112 x 133cm (44 1/16 x 52 3/8in).
Footnotes:
Provenance:
Anon. sale, Christie's, London, 10 April 1992, lot 81
With Frost and Reed Ltd., London, no. 57638

Castletown House, where these portraits originally hung, is Ireland's first and finest Palladian mansion. Located in County Kildare, the house was begun in 1722 for William Conolly (1662 –1729), Speaker of the Irish House of Commons and was magnificently remodelled and decorated by Lady Louisa Conolly (1743-1821), wife of Thomas Conolly (1738-1803) from 1759 onwards. After Lady Louisa's death the Conolly estates, including Castletown, were inherited by Thomas Conolly's grandnephew Edward Pakenham (1786–1848), who then took the name Conolly. During Edward's time few changes were made to the house, probably due to the strained economic circumstances of this time. In 1848 Edward Conolly was succeeded at Castletown and Westminster by Thomas Conolly, here depicted by William Osborne, mounted on a dappled grey hunter. For Osborne's companion portrait of Sarah Conolly, seated side saddle on a light bay hunter, see the previous lot.

While the 18th century history of Castletown and its residents has been extensively studied, the 19th century history of the house and its inhabitants is perhaps a little less well known. However, eight diaries written by Thomas Conolly between 1853 and 1870-71, have been preserved (collections of Desmond Guinness (1931-2020) and Irish Architectural Archive). These diaries act as an effective paper trail for life at Castletown in the mid-nineteenth century and record his activities, social engagements, hunt meets, travels and health. Thomas Conolly, owner of Castletown, the first great Palladian mansion in Ireland, was also amongst the last of the Protestant ascendancy landowners of a 'Big House' in nineteenth century Ireland and his story has been recently published by Dr Suzanne M. Pegley in her book Thomas Conolly (1823-76) of Castletown House and the social networking of power. As Pegley notes 'Although documentary evidence is limited, his contribution assured that the fabric of the house and its legacy was sustained for the benefit of his grandchildren and ultimately, if not intentionally, for the Irish people (see Suzanne Pegley, Landscapes of Power, The Social Network of the Power Elite in mid-Victorian Ireland Case Study of Thomas Conolly (1823-76) of Castletown, Co Kildare, PhD thesis, 2018, p.42).

Thomas Conolly travelled extensively, including to Virginia in 1864 during the height of the American Civil War where he met General Lee, Jefferson Davis and other Confederate leaders. And his diary of that time has been acknowledged as an important record for researchers of 19th century American history (see Nelson D Lankford, ed., An Irishman in Dixie: Thomas Conolly's Diary of the Fall of the Confederacy, 1988). Upon Conolly's return to Ireland in 1864, he was forced to sell some of the Castletown lands to avert financial troubles. He settled at Castletown in 1869, marrying Sarah Eliza Shaw, the Celbridge paper miller's daughter. And following this (and the addition of her dowry of £10,000 to his fortune) the couple carried out some new work and refurbishment of Castletown. This included the decoration of the blue bedroom, the partial redecoration of the long gallery and the red and green silk rooms. The couple visited the Pitti Palace in Florence, which is thought to have been the inspiration for Castletown's red silk room which has been recently restored.

The couple's decision to be painted by the Irish artist William Osborne (1823-1901), prepared for a hunt, is noteworthy. Osborne's work relating to equestrian subjects was highly admired in 19th century Ireland. See for example his great ensemble portrait 'The Ward Hunt', preserved at The National Gallery of Ireland (NGI.891). For the Conolly's, horses and hunting were the centre of their world. Conolly was an enthusiastic member of the Kildare Hunt and as Suzanne Pegley's transcriptions of Conolly's diaries have shown, he spent 30 days of 1853 hunting and was keeping twelve horses for his personal use at this time. In 1868, while the Conolly's were on their honeymoon in Paris Thomas and Napoleon III, entered into friendly competition about their horses and carriages. Conolly was considered to have won the competition because his horses were 'shod in silver' (see Boylan, 'The Conolly Family', Irish Georgian Society Bulletin, Vol XI, no. 4, 1968, p. 45). Conolly's sporting interests can be seen not just in the commissioning of these portraits but in his interventions at Castletown, his conversion of the print room into a billiards room and in 1872 his renovation of the first-floor east wing stables at Castletown creating a clubroom for social activities of the Kildare Hunt.

These pictures by Osborne are certainly the most important works by the artist to appear on the market for many decades. While known as an expert hand with horses and dogs, Osborne here demonstrates his versatility by capturing his sitters with flattering skill. These pictures are a fitting tribute to the inhabitants of one of the largest estates in Ireland, an adventure loving whose impact on Castletown can still be seen today.
This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TP
TP Lot will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.

The canvas is lined and provides a stable support, although slightly baggy to the corners. Traces of old paint separation and minor surface cracking. A small area of old losses to the upper right, in the trees. Examination under UV reveals some minor spots of infilling, including to scattered areas to the sitter's jacket, and possibly to an old repair to the left of the sitter. There is also a wash of overpaint to the sky.