Andrew Carnegie, 1835 – 1919. Ironmaster and philanthropist
About this artwork
The son of a struggling Dunfermline weaver, Carnegie emigrated to America during the depression of the 1840s. His energetic nature and a talent for being in the right industry at the right time made him a huge fortune in railroads and steel. Carnegie's attitude to labour was unsentimental; workers soon found their wages reduced and their unions undermined. At the age of 65 Carnegie sold his business and 'retired' to Skibo Castle in Scotland. His personal conviction, “The man who dies thus rich, dies disgraced” made him give away some £350 million, which among other things paid for 2811 free public libraries in the US and Britain. This painting is a copy after the original by Walter William Ouless, commissioned from his eldest daughter, Catherine, in 1925.
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title:Andrew Carnegie, 1835 – 1919. Ironmaster and philanthropist
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accession number:PG 1003
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materials:Oil on canvas
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date created:1925
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measurements:74.90 x 62.20 cm (framed: 94.60 x 82.10 x 6.20 cm)
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credit line:Commissioned 1925
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copyright:© The Estate of the Artist
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photographer:Antonia Reeve
Catherine Ouless
Walter William Ouless
Catherine Ouless
Catherine Ouless was the eldest daughter of Walter William Ouless, a very successful society portraitist who was born in Jersey but lived and worked his entire adult life in London. Although an occasional portraitist, Catherine usually painted landscapes. During the brief period in which she worked in London she exhibited…
Walter William Ouless
Walter William Ouless was born on Jersey, the son of a painter of marine subjects. Ouless first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1869 and was made a member of the Academy in 1881. He initially focussed on history painting, but on the advice of Sir John E. Millais switched…