Henry Allan (painter)

He was born at Retreat House, Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland, the youngest son of William and Anne Allan.

[7] While in Antwerp, Allan shared lodgings with other Irish students such as Moynan and Edwin Hill near the college at no.15 Mutsaerstraat, later moving to no.19.

[4] While many of the Irish artists in Antwerp later settled in France to paint, Allan travelled back to his home country, Ireland, in 1888.

In 1893, his painting "Little Matchseller" earned him the Albert prize,[3] leading, eventually, to his being elected as an associate member of the Royal Hibernian Academy on the 18 of April 1895.

[4] His notably most expensive painting at £250 was exhibited in 1898, called “Martial Law - An Episode of the Irish Rebellion in 1798”, after which the Royal Hibernian Academy saw “The Holy Women and St John with the Body of our Lord”,[3] resulting in him becoming a full member of the Royal Hibernian Academy on the 18th January 1901.

[4] After a prolonged illness, Allan passed away on the 2 September 1912, aged 47, in Rathmines, Dublin and was buried in the Mount Jerome Cemetery,[4] not too far from the Royal Hibernian Academy itself.

[10] One painting that is known is called A Dutch Interior (1888),[2] which depicts an old man studying a silver goblet in an antique shop.

[3] A Dutch Interior is currently still on display in the National Gallery of Ireland [2] while The Rag Pickers is part of a private collection.