Life in Connemara, A Market Day (1898) – Walter Frederick Osborne
Step into the heart of 19th-century Connemara with this Collector’s Edition 40×50 cm (16×20″) reproduction of Walter Frederick Osborne’s celebrated Life in Connemara, A Market Day. Signed and dated “Walter Osborne / –98” and first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1898, this work stands among the artist’s most important late paintings. Rare for the period, it was purchased directly from the exhibition by Edward Lloyd Edwards, a testament to its exceptional strength and appeal.
The scene is almost certainly set in the fishing village of Roundstone, distinguished by its characteristic L-shaped harbour. Osborne renders a vibrant market morning: women in bright scarlet headscarves cluster along the quayside selling goods from their baskets, fishermen gather near the boats, and the expansive Connemara landscape unfolds beyond in rolling hills and luminous coastline. A young woman in a red shawl turns toward the viewer, pausing as though caught in a moment of lived history.
Painted in 1898, this canvas reflects a pivotal moment in Osborne’s career. Following his move to Dublin in 1895, his style evolved toward a more expressive manner—looser brushwork, bolder colour, and a confident painterly touch. Jeanne Sheehy, in her authoritative studies of the artist, notes that in these late works we see “a painter in full control of his medium and his expression.” The lively palette and directness of gesture in Life in Connemara, A Market Day capture this transition with remarkable clarity.
While Osborne is well known for his Dublin market scenes of the 1890s, his Western Irish works are notably more vivid and open in mood. Stephen Gwynn, a friend of the artist, wrote that Osborne found Galway “artistically enchanting,” especially the local women at the quays and their richly coloured attire. This painting, infused with light, movement and human presence, beautifully embodies that response.
Collector’s Edition Quality
- Single edition size: 40×50 cm (16×20″)
- Printed on archival, museum-grade matte art paper
- Exceptional colour fidelity, contrast and fine detail
- Available unframed or in FSC-certified hardwood frames
- Suited to heritage interiors, coastal homes and fine art collectors
Bring home a masterwork of Irish art history. This 40×50 cm Collector’s Edition reproduction celebrates Osborne at the height of his abilities—expressive, confident and deeply attuned to the character of the West of Ireland.
