Mildred Anne Butler
Butler was born in 1858, and resided for most of her life at her family home Kilmurry in Co. Kilkenny. The rural, idyllic setting of the estate would inspire Butler throughout her career. In 1884 she first exhibited two watercolours at the Irish Fine Art Society exhibition in Cork. In the following year she travelled to France, Switzerland and Italy, where she sketched tirelessly. She then went to London where she studied under Paul Jacob Naftel. In 1888 her work appeared at the Dudley Gallery, London and she began to exhibit at the Watercolour Society of Ireland in 1892. Her work soon entered the Royal collection when it was included in a book of watercolours presented to Princess May by the Society of Lady Artists on the occasion of her marriage to the Duke of York. Beginning in 1891 Butler participated in five RHA exhibitions. She was also one of the first nine academicians elected to the Ulster Academy of Arts in 1930. www.whytes.ie During the 1890s Butler followed the example of many of her contemporaries and travelled to Newlyn, Cornwall with her fellow artist May Guinness. Both artists studied under Norman Garstin. The Morning Bath exhibited in the Royal Academy exhibition in 1896 was very well-received and was purchased by the Chantrey Bequest this was a rare honour for a female artist. Butler mainly exhibited in England throughout her career, however the Irish countryside was the main inspiration for many of her works. The artist painted little in the final years of her life. She died in 1941. In the 1970s some works from her private collection were sold in Christies in London. Following the sale a retrospective was held in Kilkenny and Dublin. Works by Mildred Anne Butler can be found in public collections throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom, including the Tate Gallery, London and National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. www.whytes.ie
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'WAR IN MID AIR, 1910'
- Price Realised: 39,000
- Sale: 28 April 2008
- watercolour
- 74 by 53cm., 29 by 21in.
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'CURIOSITY'
- Price Realised: 21,000
- Sale: 29 November 2005
- watercolour heightened with white on paper backed by board
- 65 by 47cm., 25.7 by 18.7in.
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'THE GARDEN CART'
- Price Realised: 16,000
- Sale: 29 November 2010
- watercolour and pencil heightened with bodycolour
- 35 by 51cm., 13.7 5 by 20in.
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'WOODLAND WITH SNOWDROPS, EARLY SPRING'
- Price Realised: 11,000
- Sale: 25 April 2006
- signed lower right; remains of original inscribed label on reverse
- 27 by 37cm., 10.5 by 14.5in.
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'CATTLE RESTING IN WOODLAND and CATTLE GRAZING BENEATH TREES (A PAIR)'
- Price Realised: 11,000
- Sale: 17 February 2004
- watercolour heightened with white
- 17 by 24cm., 6.75 by 9.5in.
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'COWS IN PASTURE'
- Price Realised: 7,700
- Sale: 28 November 2006
- watercolour over pencil heightened with white
- 26 by 36cm., 10.2 5 by 14in.
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'ROSES AT KILMURRAY'
- Price Realised: 7,500
- Sale: 17 February 2004
- watercolour
- 36 by 25cm., 14 by 10in.
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'HERBACEOUS BORDER WITH GARDEN BENCH and WOODLAND PATH, KILMURRAY (A PAIR)'
- Price Realised: 7,200
- Sale: 30 April 2007
- watercolour
- 13 by 18cm., 5.25 by 7.25in.
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'KILMURRY, 1918 (VIEW OF THE ARTIST'S HOUSE)'
- Price Realised: 6,000
- Sale: 29 September 2008
- watercolour
- 24 by 34cm., 9.5 by 13.5in.
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'KILMURRAY - CATS CHASING BIRDS, 1918'
- Price Realised: 6,000
- Sale: 26 November 2007
- watercolour
- 26 by 36cm., 10.2 5 by 14.2 5i
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'PASTURELAND'
- Price Realised: 5,200
- Sale: 20 September 2005
- watercolour heightened with white
- 18 by 25cm., 7 by 10in.
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'AUGHRIM RIVER, COUNTY WICKLOW'
- Price Realised: 5,000
- Sale: 04 March 2013
- watercolour
- 13.5 by 20in., 33.75 by 50cm.
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'THE SPRING GARDEN, KILMURRY'
- Price Realised: 4,800
- Sale: 15 March 2010
- watercolour
- 18 by 26cm., 7 by 10.2 5in.
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'A DUCK POND'
- Price Realised: 4,800
- Sale: 22 February 2005
- watercolour on paper
- 18 by 13cm., 7 by 5.25in.
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'HERBACEOUS BORDER and HERBACEOUS BORDER WITH GARDEN BENCH (A PAIR)'
- Price Realised: 4,800
- Sale: 17 February 2004
- watercolour
- 18 by 13cm., 7 by 5in.
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'A SHADY CORNER OF THE GARDEN'
- Price Realised: 4,600
- Sale: 17 February 2004
- watercolour
- 19 by 27cm., 7.5 by 10.5in.
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'GARDEN AT KILMURRY, COUNTY KILKENNY, 1901'
- Price Realised: 4,400
- Sale: 27 November 2017
- watercolour
- 14Ό x 10in. (36.20 x 25.40cm)
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'FLOWERING RHODODENDRON'
- Price Realised: 4,200
- Sale: 29 April 2003
- watercolour
- 37 by 27cm., 14.5 by 10.5in.
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'VIEW OF COTTAGES ACROSS SUMMER FIELDS'
- Price Realised: 4,000
- Sale: 08 May 2002
- watercolour heightened with white
- 17 by 24cm., 6.5 by 9.5in.
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'REAPER'
- Price Realised: 3,800
- Sale: 02 October 2023
- watercolour
- 14½ x 21in. (36.83 x 53.34cm)
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'A TASTY MORSEL'
- Price Realised: 3,400
- Sale: 23 October 2023
- charcoal
- 14 x 20in. (35.56 x 50.80cm)
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'COWS IN PASTURE'
- Price Realised: 3,400
- Sale: 27 November 2017
- watercolour over pencil heightened with white
- 10Ό x 14in. (26.04 x 35.56cm)
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'SUMMER GARDEN'
- Price Realised: 3,000
- Sale: 17 September 2002
- watercolour heightened with bodycolour, oval
- 20 by 15cm., 8 by 6in.
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'AN OLD SONG" [PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST'S SISTER ESSIE BUTLER], 1886"'
- Price Realised: 2,900
- Sale: 26 May 2014
- watercolour
- 10 by 6.5in., 25 by 16.25cm.
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'POND SCENE WITH PURPLE HYDRANGEA'
- Price Realised: 2,400
- Sale: 30 September 2013
- watercolour
- 6.5 by 14.25in., 16.25 by 35.625cm.
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'A COUNTRY HOUSE AND GARDENS, KILMURRY HOUSE'
- Price Realised: 2,300
- Sale: 31 May 2021
- watercolour
- 14 x 10½in. (35.56 x 26.67cm)
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'DUCKS RESTING'
- Price Realised: 2,285
- Sale: 13 June 2001
- watercolour heightened with white
- 10 by 14cm., 4 by 5.5in.
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'GARDEN SCENES, c.1894-1895 (A PAIR)'
- Price Realised: 2,200
- Sale: 04 March 2019
- oil on board; (2)
- 9½ x 6Όin. (24.13 x 15.88cm)