[Ross Island Copper Mine Killarney]

c.1840 Original watercolour of copper mining, Ross ISland, Ireland

A finely executed watercolour depicting the copper mines on Ross Island, Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. The composition centres upon the mine’s stone engine house, its smoking chimney indicating the operation of a steam-powered pumping or winding engine. Adjacent stands a substantial timber headframe erected above the mine shaft, while miners and labourers occupy the foreground amongst thatch-covered shelters and associated workings. Beyond the industrial foreground lie the tranquil waters of Lough Leane, overlooked by the mist-shrouded mountains of Killarney, creating a striking contrast between heavy industry and one of Ireland’s most celebrated natural landscapes.

The Ross Island copper mines possess an exceptionally long history, with copper first extracted on the island during the Bronze Age around 2400 BC. Commercial mining resumed in the early c.19th, when improved steam technology enabled the reopening of the ancient workings. By the 1820s and 1830s, steam engines, pumping houses and winding gear had transformed Ross Island into one of Ireland’s most important copper-producing centres, employing several hundred miners before production gradually declined during the latter half of the century.

Executed in subtle washes of sepia and grey, the artist skilfully captures the atmospheric effects of smoke and mountain mist while recording the principal features of the mining complex with considerable accuracy.

Executed in a restrained palette of sepia, green and grey washes, the artist employs strong tonal contrasts and atmospheric effects to emphasise the smoke-filled foreground against the mountainous backdrop.