WHYTE'S THE ECLECTIC COLLECTOR 15/16 MAY 2021

224 John McCormack Collection 569 Elizabeth O’Kane (b.1970) JOHN COUNT MCCORMACK, 2008; bronze; (no. 3 from an edition of 5); signed, dated and numbered on base 25 by 8.50 by 5in. (63.5 by 21.6 by 12.7cm) Condition: This work appears to be in excellent condition. A larger version (76 by 29 by 27in.) of the present work was erected in the Iveagh Gardens, Dublin in 2008. It is situated in the north east corner of the Gardens, beside the National Concert Hall. An unveiling of the bronze can be found on the artist’s website. https://elizabethokane.com/ John McCormack, (born June 14, 1884, Athlone, County Westmeath; died September 16, 1945, Dublin), was an Irish singer who was considered to be one of the finest tenors of the 20th century. McCormack won a prize at the National Irish Festival (the Feis Ceoil) in Dublin in 1903. Later he studied in Italy. He made his London operatic debut in 1907 at Covent Garden as Turiddu in Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana. He appeared at the Manhattan Opera House, New York City, in 1909 as Alfredo in Giuseppe Verdi’s La traviata. Subsequently he sang with opera companies in Chicago and Boston and with the Metropolitan Opera , New York City. In 1911 he toured Australia with Nellie Melba performing Italian opera. He later turned to the concert stage and became a fine singer of German lieder. Most popular with recital audiences were the Irish folk songs he invariably included in his programs. He was admired for the beauty of his voice and for his careful musicianship. He became a U.S. citizen in 1919 and was made a count in the papal peerage in 1928. Estimate €4,000-€6,000 (approx £3,480-£5,220) Click here for more images and to bid on this lot 569