Anita Bartle, The Red Shawl – William Orpen Print

Anita Bartle, The Red Shawl (1905) – William Orpen

Orpen painted Anita Bartle twice. The first version, Anita, hangs in the Tate in London. This is the second — more elaborate, more direct, the sitter turned toward the viewer with her hand raised, something unspoken being said. It remains in private hands, appearing at auction at Adam's of Dublin.

Anita Bartle was a writer and journalist who had known Orpen since his Slade days. She had bought his work in instalments when he was an unknown student. By 1905, when this was painted, he was becoming the most talked-about portraitist in London — but Anita was still a friend, still someone he painted not because he was paid to but because he wanted to.

The red shawl dominates everything. Orpen had recently travelled to Madrid and the Prado with Hugh Lane, saturated in Velazquez and the Spanish masters. The influence is unmistakeable — the warm ground, the rich fabric, the figure emerging from darkness.

Sir William Orpen (1878-1931), born in Stillorgan, Co Dublin, trained at the Metropolitan School of Art in Dublin and the Slade School in London, becoming one of the most successful portrait painters of his generation. His work hangs in the National Gallery of Ireland.

Sizes & Format

• 30 × 40 cm / 12 × 16″
• 60 × 80 cm / 24 × 32″
• 75 × 100 cm / 30 × 40″
• Available framed (black, white, wood) or unframed

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.