Anita Bartle, The Red Shawl – William Orpen Print

Orpen painted Anita Bartle twice. The first version hangs in the Tate Gallery in London. This is the second — more elaborate, more direct, the sitter turned toward the viewer with her hand raised, the coral beads removed, something unspoken being said.

Anita Bartle was a writer and journalist who had known Orpen since his Slade days. She had bought his work in instalments when he was an unknown student. By 1905, when this was painted, he was becoming the most talked-about portraitist in London — but Anita was still a friend, still a visitor to the Orpen household, still someone he painted not because he was paid to but because he wanted to.

The red shawl dominates everything. Orpen had just returned from Madrid and the Prado, saturated in Velázquez and the Spanish masters. The influence is unmistakeable — the warm ground, the rich fabric, the figure emerging from darkness. This is an Irish painter at the height of his powers, working at the edge of what portraiture could do.

This archival print is made on heavyweight fine art paper with fade-resistant inks, built to last.

Sizes & Format

• 30 × 40 cm / 12 × 16″
• 60 × 80 cm / 24 × 32″
• 75 × 100 cm / 30 × 40″
• Available framed (black, white, wood) or unframed

Delivered in 2–5 business days.

Print & Frame Details

Archival matte paper, 250gsm (110lb), acid-free and FSC-certified — off-white, uncoated. Framed prints: solid oak or ash wood frame, 20mm thick, with shatterproof protective glazing. Ready to hang, hanging kit included. Unframed prints up to A4 ship flat; larger sizes ship rolled in a protective tube.

Free Worldwide Shipping

Framed prints are packed with protective corners and wrap, boxed with reinforced edges, and braced with internal supports for extra rigidity (max 3 frames per package). Every order ships free, made to order and delivered from the hub closest to you: Ireland 3–7 business days · UK 4–8 · USA 5–10 · Canada 6–12 · Australia 7–14.