A COLLECTION OF 26 ORIGINAL DRAWINGS IN GRAPHITE AND WHITE CHALK, ACCOMPANIED BY ONE WATERCOLOR, DONE BY MARY DARBY, AN IRISH ARTIST OF THE MID-19TH CENTURY

A group of accomplished, beautifully rendered sketches of rural, architectural and pastoral settings varying in size from approx. 5 x 7 in. to 10 x 14 in., on grey paper. Twelve of the drawings are hinge mounted to backing boards, and all but one matted (though some of the mattings are detached). The remaining 14 and the watercolor are unmounted. Only one is signed "M. Darby," but most have a brief pencil note in one corner identifying the scene, often with a date, all in a similar hand. All are in very nice condition. Both Yale's Center for British Art and the Newfields Collections in Indianapolis have examples of her work similar to these drawings. Information on Mary Darby is scarce, and there are differences over her birth and death dates. Newfields indicates she was born in 1823 and died in 1893. A brief unsigned typed essay accompanying these sketches indicates she married the Rev. Christopher Lovett Darby of Kells Priory, County Kilkenny, Ireland in 1817 and died in 1869. This essay also identifies her as "an undiscovered pupil & follower of Edward Lear." Indeed her work is similar in style to his mid-century work. The drawings include: 1) LEAP CASTLE. 10 1/4 X 7 in., dated 1845 2) SCOTTS FIRS. LEAP. 14 1/2 x 10 1/2 in., 1845 3) SHEVINAMAR. 8 1/4 x 12 in. [nd] 4) JERPOINT ABBEY. 10 1/4 x 14 1/2 in., dated Oct. 17 [no year] 5) SUGAR LOAF MOUNTAIN, CO. WICKLOW. 10 1/4 x 14 in., 1845 [or 1846] 6) HEIDELBERG. 9 3/4 x 13 3/4 in. [nd] [a small brown spot or two in the upper margin] 7) GODESBURG. 9 3/4 x 13 3/4 in., June 1850 8) MILLSWATER [sp?]. 6 1/4 x 9 1/4 in., Sept. 23 [no year] 9) DALLAM TOWER PARK. 10 1/4 x 14 1/2 in., Sept. 1857 10) CONISTON. 14 1/2 x 10 1/4 in., August 10 [no year] 11) RYDAL HEAD. 13 3/4 x 9 3/4 in., Aug. 1 [no year] 12) HELM CRAG & EASDALE. 9 3/4 x 13 3/4 in. [nd] 13) GLENDALOUGH. 5 1/8 x 7 1/8 in. [nd] 14) MONT DU LION, BELGIUM. 6 1/4 x 9 1/4 in. [nd] 15) ALTENAHR. 6 1/4 x 9 1/4 in. [nd] 16) [no title] [a pastoral scene with a small group of houses at left margin] 4 3/4 x 10 1/4 in. [nd] 17) KELLS PRIORY. 7 3/4 x 10 in. [nd] 18) CHANTRY, HOLY CROSS. 7 1/2 x 9 1/4 in. [nd] 19) KILANARY [sp? Killarney?] 7 1/4 x 10 1/4 in., August 1846 [sketch a bit unfinished] 20) CLONMACNOISE. 6 1/2 x 9 3/4 in., Aug. 27 [no year] 21) [no title] [stately house surrounded by trees, a bit unfinished; traces of mounting on verso] 10 1/4 x 14 1/4 in. [nd] 22) ST. MULLINS. 9 3/4 x 13 3/4 in. [nd] 23) CATSFIELD. 10 1/4 x 14 1/4 in., Sep. 16, 1844. SIGNED by M. Darby 24) G[??] KELLOE [sp?]. [a walled avenue with trees on either side] 10 x 14 1/4 in. [nd] 25) THE MEUSA [sp?] [a village on a lake or river] 9 3/4 x 13 3/4 in., May 4 [no year] "from [illeg.]" 26) [no title] [village scene] 9 3/4 x 13 3/4 in. [nd] 27) [Watercolor] MOUNT LEINSTER ARL FROM F[??] RECTORY. 9 3/4 x 13 3/4 in., Jan. 30, 1851. The typed essay accompanying these sketches, two pages, approx. 475 words, gives some information on Mary Darby's life and artistic influences: "There are no actual records showing that Lear gave lessons to Mary Darby but the similarity in style is so apparent that it suggests that Lear's influence must have been profound. Mary's hand is quick and sure and the line constant throughout twenty years, altering only to show a developing confidence." Mary was the daughter of Alexander Boyle of Limavady, and in 1817 married Rev. Christopher Lovett Darby (ca.1793-1874), a member of an old established family in Ireland. The Darby's family seat was Leap Castle, County Offaly. They also owned property in England and her husband's brother represented East Sussex in Parliament. The original connection with Edward Lear may have been made when he visited his sister Sarah near Arundel, West Sussex in the 1820s. He was frequently invited into the homes of "noblemen and gentry. to give drawing lessons." From 1832-1836, Lear (1812-1888) was employed at Knowsley, the home estate of Lord Stanley, the Earl of Derby. Here he created drawings of Lord St.…