Image: Owen Roe O'Neill

Description: Ulster Journal of Archaeology, Volume 4, page 39 "There is every reason to believe that the portrait of Owen Roe O'Neill, from which our lithograph is faithfully copied on a reduced scale, is genuine. It is an oil painting on wood, and measures about 16 in. by 12 in. On the back is written, in characters now much obliterated,—"Owen Roe O'Neill at the court of • • • • by the celebrated Dutch artist, Van Brugens." This writing is older than the memory of the present owner, a lady now far advanced in years. The painting is traditionally known by all the branches of her family as the portrait of Owen Roe, and highly valued as such. The late Roman Catholic Bishop of Derry offered .£30 for it, which was declined. It Is very improbable that a member of an Irish family of moderate circumstance would have had a portrait painted by an expensive foreign artist —The execution of the painting is admirable. The colour of the hair, which gave to Owen O'Neill his distinguishing epithet of Roe (but which could not be shown in our lithograph ) is not decidedly red, but only approaching to it. The tinge of redness, however, is quite sufficient to have distinguished him amongst a number of dark-haired men ; and the complexion is clear and ruddy. It is worthy of remark that the characteristic features of the face may still be traced in various members of the family to whom the portrait belongs.—ED",Further description Page 26 "It was probably in those days of O'Neill's continental fame that the portrait, of which we are enabled' to give a very successful lithographic copy, was painted by some Flemish master, who certainly rivals Vandyke in delicacy of touch and genius for design. In the young and nobly-descended Irishman the limner has presented a beau ideal of patrician manly beauty, and set it off with simple and true graces—exquisitely artistic, whether in the smoothness and strait band of the close tunic under the wavy fur, or in the furry roughness that makes almost as admirable a contrast to the softness and bright colours of the human complexion as nature intended when enduing the fate of man with such curly decorations as those Owen Roe did not deprive himself of,—or in the plain dark blue bonnet, with its jewel, giving O'Neill the air of a chieftain, and crowning the picture. Ilia features in this portrait agree in most respects with his characteristics; —the width between his eye• brows and his broad forehead, tho seat of his large intellect and comprehensive forethought his eloquent and passionate eyes, haughty upper lip, and prominent finely-chiselled nose, indicative of his aristocratic spirit and love of glory. But that sensitive mouth has not the masculine severity and compression we should have expected from the character of General O'Neill."
Title: Owen Roe O'Neill
Credit: Ulster Journal of Archaeology Volume 4
Author: Unknown, Van Brugens
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No