| ID | 21335 |
|---|---|
| Collection | Beatrice Esther ('Bea') Orpen |
| Collection Description | Beatrice Esther Orpen was born in Carrickmines in Dublin, 1913. She was the niece to Sir William Orpen though they had never met. Orpen studied art in the Metropolitan School of Fine Art, The Royal Hibernian Academy and Slade School of Fine Art. She excelled in design and decorative art and proceeded to study in in the School of Typography and trained in both textile and commercial design in the London County Council Central School of Arts and Crafts. She went on to create designs for a wide range of products such as posters, book jackets, tea towels and cards. Orpen created fine art works in goache and watercolour where she focused on landscapes. She had her first solo show in the Country Shop, St Stephen's Green, Dublin in 1939. Orpen exhibitied in the RHA annual show every year from 1934 to 1980 as well as the Watercolour Society each year from 1936 to 1980. Her prolific career also extended to showing in the Irish Exhibition of Living Art and the Exhibition of Modern Irish Art. She lived with her husband Chalmers Edward FitzJohn (‘Terry’) Trench in Drogheda and then Slane in Co. Meath where she taught art in a number of schools. They both founded the Drogheda Municipal. She was a co-founder for the Drogheda ICA and was president for a time. Retrospective exhibitions of her work were held at the Gorry gallery, Dublin (1981), and the Droichead arts centre, Drogheda (1995). She passed away in 1980 [NGI]. |
| Collection Web Address | https://sourcenationalgallery.ie/collection/calm-r4311 |
| Reference | NGI/IA/ORP2/1 |
| Description | Resource is fully digitised. Collection contains four sketchbooks, with subjects ranging from religious iconography and textile patterns to life drawing, and advertising campaign designs. These sketchbooks relate predominantly to the period 1930-1936. Collection also includes three published books by members of the extended Orpen family, specifically a memoir by William Orpen (Bea Orpen's uncle), and two titles by her husband C.E.F. Trench. These were published in 1924, 1976, and 1996 respectively. |
| Access | By prior appointment. |
| Date | c.1924-1996 |
| Century | 20th |
| Keywords | |
| Repository Name | National Gallery of Ireland Library |
| Address | Merrion Square West Dublin 2 |
| Eircode | D02 K303 |
| Telephone | (01) 663-3543 |
| Email Address | library@ngi.ie |
| Repository Web Address | https://www.nationalgallery.ie/ |
| latitude | 53.34097 |
| longitude | -6.25252 |