William Orpen – Portrait of the Artist's Wife

In 1909, William Orpen painted his wife Grace on the headland above Dublin Bay. The wind is in her scarf. The sea is behind her. She is completely at ease, and so is he.

This is not a commissioned portrait — nobody paid for it. Orpen painted Grace because he wanted to, which is exactly why it feels different from everything else in his career. There is no performance here, no sitter trying to project status. Just a woman on a cliff, painted by the man who knew her best.

Orpen was at the height of his powers in 1909 — in demand across London and Dublin, about to become one of the most sought-after portraitists in Europe. He would go to the Western Front six years later and come back changed. This painting belongs to the time before all of that: confident, luminous, uncomplicated.

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

Sizes & Format

• 60 × 80 cm / 24 × 32″
• 30 × 40 cm / 12 × 16″
• 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.