John O'Keeffe (painter)

John O'Keeffe sometimes O'Keefe (c. 1797 – April 1838) was an Irish portrait and figure painter.

For the Irish playwright, see John O'Keeffe (Irish writer).

Life
Portrait of Mrs John O' Keefe, wife of the artist, held in the National Gallery of Ireland

Born in Fermoy, County Cork of humble parentage, O'Keeffe began painting at an early age and was apprenticed to a coach painter. He began painting scenes for local theatres, working his way up to religious pictures for local Roman Catholic churches. In 1831 he sent a Portrait of a Lady and Crucifixion to the Royal Hibernian Academy.[1]

He left Cork in 1834 for Dublin and continued to exhibit portrait and subject paintings. A painting from this period, A Sibyl, 1835, now stands in the Museum of Cork (1913). He exhibited a painting of the British army Field Marshal Edward Blakeney at the RHA in 1837. Just as his career was on the rise he died while on a visit to Limerick in April 1838. He left a widow and children.[1]

The Crawford Gallery hold a portrait of Nano Nagle attributed to O'Keeffe.[2]

References
  1. Strickland, Henry G. A Dictionary of Irish Artists. Maunsel & Company, Limited, Dublin and London. 1913. Pg. 192-93. Retrieved 25 March 2008.
  2. "WORK OF THE WEEK | 19 August 2019 - Crawford Art Gallery". crawfordartgallery.ie. 20 May 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2022.


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