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James Humbert Craig
RHA RUA (1877-1944)
LIVERPOOL DOCKS
oil on board
signed lower left; with original
label inscribed with exhibition
number [52] and price
[£30-0-0] on reverse
11.50 by 17in. (29.21 by 43.18cm)
Provenance:
Whyte’s, 25 April 2006, lot 57;
Whence purchased by the present
owner
With a preparatory pencil sketch of
men in a boat on reverse.
Craig’s enthusiasm for boats
extended to a keen interest in busy
city ports and steam ships. He
painted a number of shipping
scenes in Belfast Harbour, including
Clarendon Dock, Belfast and Leaving
Belfast (both illustrated in George A.
Connell, James Humbert Craig: The
People’s Artist, 1988, pages 119 and
75 respectively). The present view
of the Liverpool Docks was painted
during the 1930s, at a time when
thousands of Irish went to England
in search of work. For many of
these, Liverpool was their frst port
of entry. In the foreground a
barefoot urchin rushes through the
crowd, a horse and dray await
unloading, a shawled woman and
child stand at the left, balanced by
a second family group at the right,
standing by their cases, looking on
at the busy scene. Beyond them,
through the funnels of the docked
ship, can be seen the copper
cupola of the Royal Liver Insurance
Building.
€4,000-€6,000
(£3,278-£4,918 approx).
90
James Humbert Craig
RHA RUA (1877-1944)
LEAVING PORT, BELFAST
oil on board
signed lower left; with title in
pencil on reverse; with Wellington
Gallery [Antrim] label on reverse
14.50 by 19.50in. (36.83 by
49.53cm)
€5,000-€7,000
(£4,098-£5,737 approx).