This work relates closely to an oil painting by Keating titled Patrick Lynch's Boat which was purchased from the artist by Victor Waddington, before being sold to Alfred Goodwin of the Goodwin Galleries in Limerick. It is likely that the present painting was a preparatory work or indeed a version of the oil painting. There are slight differences in the formation of the figure groups, although the characters remain the same as do the boat and pier wall. The work demonstrates Keating's proficiency in watercolour as well as oil, and is a significant example of Keating’s Aran series, revealing the powerful influence that the Aran Islanders and their landscape had on his artistic career.
[Sotheby’s, London - Watercolour and bodycolour, 51 x 66 cm]