Independence—Portrait of a man leaning on a fence
Oil on canvas (unlined)
Signed and dated ‘J.A. Fitzgerald 1846’
Signed and inscribed with title on the reverse of the frame
Exhibited at The Royal Academy, 1846, No.104, ‘Independence’
Enclosed in original gilt frame
John Austen Fitzgerald (English, 1832-1906) was born in London, the son of the poet, William Thomas Fitzgerald (1759-1829). His Irish grandfather was Colonel John Austen Fitzgerald (c.1691-1751).
Fitzgerald began his artistic studies at the Maddox Street Sketching Club. His early works were portraits and genre scenes, some painted in the Pre-Raphaelite style. He is best known for his highly imaginative fairy scenes, which earned him the sobriquet, "Fairy Fitzgerald". These subjects were painted in oil and watercolour.
Fitzgerald exhibited thirty-three works at The Royal Academy between 1845 and 1902, twenty-seven at the British Institution, and sixty-two at Suffolk Street.
Works by Fitzgerald can be seen at the Guildhall Art Gallery, London; the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff; and the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool.

Dimensions:14 x 12 inches (36 x 31 cm.)