Sir Robert Ponsonby Staples Bt.

1853 - 1943

Sir Robert Ponsonby Staples, 12th Bt, became one of Irelands best known artists. His work was first accepted by the Royal Academy in 1875, when he was 22 years old, and was a regular exhibitor thereafter. A Dundee-born portrait painter who worked in oil, watercolour and pastels. Studied at the Louvain Academy, Dresden, Paris and London where he trained as an artist. Staples worked as an illustrator and cartoonist to 'The Sketch', 'The Illustrated London News' and 'The Graphic' and became the 12th Baronet in 1933, inheriting the title from his elder brother. His work included portraits of important politicians, actors, churchmen, artists, and monarchy in England. His most famous sporting works include a fictitious cricket match at Lords en-titled 'MCC Australia v England at Lords', now hanging in the Pavilion at Lord's Cricket Ground. The picture is made up of men who played for England and Australia at the time and notable people who attended Lord's. All of the players are named and portrayed; W. G. Grace can be seen batting. Other people worth noting are the Prince (later King Edward VII) and Princess of Wales walking towards the populated stands, some of the crowd being ladies whose names had been linked by gossip to the Prince. One of the most famous lovers of the Prince is Lillie Langtry who is in the right centre foreground, to the right of the pillar. 'The Last Shot for the Queen's Prize at Wimbledon', now hanging in the Worthing Municipal Gallery, and

Sir Robert Ponsonby Staples, 12th Bt, became one of Irelands best known artists. His work was first accepted by the Royal Academy in 1875, when he was 22 years old, and was a regular exhibitor thereafter. A Dundee-born portrait painter who worked in oil, watercolour and pastels. Studied at the Louvain Academy, Dresden, Paris and London where he trained as an artist. Staples worked as an illustrator and cartoonist to 'The Sketch', 'The Illustrated London News' and 'The Graphic' and became the 12th Baronet in 1933, inheriting the title from his elder brother. His work included portraits of important politicians, actors, churchmen, artists, and monarchy in England. His most famous sporting works include a fictitious cricket match at Lords en-titled 'MCC Australia v England at Lords', now hanging in the Pavilion at Lord's Cricket Ground. The picture is made up of men who played for England and Australia at the time and notable people who attended Lord's. All of the players are named and portrayed; W. G. Grace can be seen batting. Other people worth noting are the Prince (later King Edward VII) and Princess of Wales walking towards the populated stands, some of the crowd being ladies whose names had been linked by gossip to the Prince. One of the most famous lovers of the Prince is Lillie Langtry who is in the right centre foreground, to the right of the pillar. 'The Last Shot for the Queen's Prize at Wimbledon', now hanging in the Worthing Municipal Gallery, and

'The Tennis Match at the Lawn Tennis Club, Newcastle Co. Down, Ireland'.

2 ITEMS