An Irish artist who found his place in the sun

Auctioneer John de Vere White seems to be making studio sales his speciality as he conducts them with increasing regularity at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. The latest artist to attract his attention is the late Samuel Taylor, 100 of whose works will be offered for sale - together with a collection of pictures by Taylor's daughter, Anne, and items by other artists - next Tuesday evening.

Born in 1870 in Belfast, Taylor spent most of his life in the city, having studied at the local school of art. However, for a few months each summer before the first World War, he travelled to Brittany, basing himself, like so many other Irish artists, at the port of Concarneau. The most attractive and vibrant pictures included in next week's sale date from this period and include a large number of seascapes, harbour views and images of traditional Breton costumes and markets. Clearly influenced by the company he was keeping, Taylor's style became looser, more impressionistic and bolder than seems to have been the case in his earlier period, or indeed later period, as an artist. His rendering of light reflected on water and capturing of the shadows cast by strong sun are particularly effective.

There are also a couple of almost Boudinesque beach scenes, which are bound to be popular. Some of his pictures are to be included in an exhibition called Irish Painters in Brittany at the Musee in Pont Aven and subsequently at Cork's Crawford Art Gallery next year. Taylor never again achieved the same flair in his painting technique. Since none of the work is dated, it is almost impossible to know when he produced the rest of the nonBreton pictures which are now coming onto the market. In 1921, he began teaching art at the Municipal Technical Institute in Belfast, from which he retired in 1938; he died six years later. Anne Taylor, who died in 1978, is also well-represented in this sale, by a selection of oils and watercolours and a number of cartoons; for a number of years during the 1930s, she worked as a professional cartoonist. Her style of painting is quite different to that of Samuel Taylor and the nearest equivalent among Northern Irish artists might be John Luke, with whom she shares certain stylistic mannerisms. Finally, the auction will close with other artists' work collected by the Taylors and various miscellaneous lots. Names here include Kernoff, Hans Iten, McKelvey, Jellett, O'Neill and Jack Hanlon. Obviously, the main focus of interest will be on the Taylor pictures, the estimates of which vary from as low as £200 for a watercolour up to £7,000 for one of the Concarneau harbour scenes. Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, de Vere's will be holding an auction of furniture and effects in the same venue. All lots come from the estate of the late Mona Savage of Blackrock, Co Dublin, who died earlier this year. Expected to do best is a fine early 19thcentury four-door breakfront bookcase, which carries an estimate of £6,000-£7,000. Otherwise, many lots have modest estimates, often in double figures.

A female nude by Samuel Taylor has an estimate of £1,500-£2,000

A Victorian travelling case (estimate, £1,800-£2,200), one of the lots for the James Adam auction next Wednesday