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LACRIMAE RERVM Gallery

Exhibition

An Enchanted Land

It was like an enchanted land

The Somme, August 1917 · An Onlooker in France, 1921, p. 36

The same words in Orpen’s book of 1921
As printed: W. Orpen, An Onlooker in France, 1917–1919 (London: Williams and Norgate, 1921), p. 36

William Newenham Montague Orpen 1878–1931

To the Unknown British Soldier in France
To the Unknown British Soldier in France, 1921–1928

One could travel to many corners of the world before finding such pure beauty. Yet with it always a feeling of sadness, a calm, overpowering sadness, a sadness one cannot explain.

William Orpen, on Dublin Bay · Stories of Old Ireland & Myself, 1924, p. 3

And every picture that he painted was a chapter of autobiography.

Sidney Dark, the artist’s friend · Konody, Dark 1932, p. 90
Gallery number
LR 8
Section
Painting
Movement
‘Realism’
Works
51
Opened
12 October 2026

Appendices · Appendices

  1. ISupplementary materialWhere each work is held: collection, acquisition, inscriptions, exhibitions, literature.
  2. IIIndexEvery work in the exhibition in a single table: dates, collections, inventory numbers.
  3. IIIPlacesWhere he stood when he painted, on the maps and plans of the time: Normandy, London, and Ireland from Baedeker, the Somme and Flanders on maps of the front of 1916–1917, Versailles down to the room of the principal work; his words on the places, and photographs of them from those years.
  4. IVDossier of the principal workTo the Unknown British Soldier in France: his words on the erased portraits, the painting as it looked in 1923, with guards and cherubs, press notices and letters from viewers, canvas and the signature ‘ORPEN 1921-8’, provenance, literature.
  5. VLettersHis letters to his wife about the works on the wall, in his own hand: The Vere Foster Family from the letter about the sittings to the sketch with its colour notes, Cany in 1900, the front in 1917, and Le Chef de l’Hôtel Chatham as his Diploma Work.
  6. VICorrectionsNo corrections.

Music of the room

Nearer, my God, to TheeLowell Mason, words by Sarah Flower Adams · sung by John McCormackVictor 64345, matrix B-13225, 1913

The hymn is one Orpen himself recalls. Once in childhood he and two or three other children had climbed high into a chestnut tree by the gate of the house; an old tramp, hearing their laughter from the road, said he would like to come up to them and, asked why, replied ‘Wouldn’t I be nearer to heaven?’ and walked on. ‘But we were very quiet for a bit after what he said. “Nearer, my God, to Thee.” That fine old hymn must have come to our childish minds’ (Stories of Old Ireland & Myself, 1924, p. 5). John McCormack sings it; Orpen painted his portrait in 1923 (National Gallery of Ireland).

  1. The Swinton Family The Swinton Family1901
  2. Adam and Eve at Péronne Adam and Eve at Péronne1918
  3. Herbert Barnard John Everett, 1877–1949 Herbert Barnard John Everett, 1877–1949c.1900
  4. Portrait of Gertrude Sanford Portrait of Gertrude Sanford1922
  5. Myself and Cupid Myself and Cupid1910
  6. The Receiving Room: The 42nd Stationary Hospital The Receiving Room: The 42nd Stationary Hospital1917
  7. A Tank A Tank1917
  8. Portrait of Sir Edwin Ray Lankester (1847–1929) Portrait of Sir Edwin Ray Lankester (1847–1929)1928
  9. The Courtyard, Hotel Sauvage, Cassel, Nord The Courtyard, Hotel Sauvage, Cassel, Nord1917
  10. Bombing: Night Bombing: Night1918
  11. Mont St Eloi. Troops Marching to Arras Mont St Eloi. Troops Marching to Arras1917
  12. The Thinker on the Butte de Warlencourt The Thinker on the Butte de Warlencourt1918
  13. Night (no. 2) Night (no. 2)1907
  14. The Refugee (A) The Refugee (A)1918

  15. Principal work of the exhibition

    To the Unknown British Soldier in France To the Unknown British Soldier in France1921–1928
  16. The Holy Well The Holy Well1916
  17. Portrait of the Artist’s Parents Portrait of the Artist’s Parentsc.1911
  18. General Birdwood returning to his Headquarters General Birdwood returning to his Headquarters30 April 1917
  19. Blown Up Blown Up1917
  20. A Dead German in a Trench A Dead German in a Trench1917
  21. The Normandy Cider Press The Normandy Cider Press1900
  22. Self-Portrait Self-Portrait1912
  23. Dead Germans in a Trench Dead Germans in a Trench1918
  24. Zonnebeke Zonnebeke1918
  25. The Poet The Poetc.1915
  26. My Work Room, Cassel My Work Room, Cassel11 June 1917
  27. A Man Resting, near Arras. Mont St Eloi on the left, Vimy Ridge in the distance A Man Resting, near Arras. Mont St Eloi on the left, Vimy Ridge in the distance1917
  28. Looking at the Sea Looking at the Sea1912
  29. The Vere Foster Family The Vere Foster Family1907
  30. ‘Good-bye-ee’: Cassel ‘Good-bye-ee’: Cassel1917
  31. Portrait of Lady Evelyn Herbert Portrait of Lady Evelyn Herbert1915
  32. Madame Errázuriz Madame Errázuriz1915
  33. The Return of a Patrol The Return of a Patrol1917
  34. German Prisoners by the Roadside German Prisoners by the Roadside1917
  35. Self-Portrait Self-Portraitc.1910
  36. Lady Marriott Lady Marriott1921
  37. Ready To Start. Self Portrait, 1917 Ready To Start. Self Portrait, 191710 June 1917
  38. Night Nightc.1907
  39. Death in the Snow Death in the Snowc.1917–1918
  40. A Storm, Keal Kill A Storm, Keal Kill1901
  41. Miss Alexander Miss Alexander1931
  42. Le Chef de l’Hôtel Chatham, Paris Le Chef de l’Hôtel Chatham, Paris1921
  43. Trees at Howth Trees at Howthc.1909–1913
  44. Evelyn Marshall Field (Mrs. Marshall Field III) Evelyn Marshall Field (Mrs. Marshall Field III)c.1921
  45. The Wash House The Wash House1905
  46. The Revolutionary The Revolutionaryc.1902
  47. German Sick, Captured at Messines, in a Canadian Hospital German Sick, Captured at Messines, in a Canadian Hospital1917
  48. Geoffrey, Fourth Marquis of Headfort Geoffrey, Fourth Marquis of Headfort1915