Irish School, 18th Century

John Barton (1782-1874), Stonehouse, County Dublin (according to a label on the reverse);
Lady Isobel Carlisle (d. 1976);
By inheritance to the present owner.

John O'Keefe was an Irish actor and dramatist. His failing eyesight is what prompted him to take up writing for the stage instead of acting - it started becoming a problem in 1770 and resulted in total blindness by 1797. He was a prolific writer and produced a number of farces, amusing dramatic pieces and librettos for pasticcio operas, many of which had great success - he became the most frequently produced playwright in London in the last quarter of the 18th century. His writings include Tony Lumpkin in Town (1778), Love in a Camp (1786),Omai (1785), an account of the voyages of the Tahitian explorer Omai, and Wild Oats (1791). In 1826, O'Keeffe wrote his memoirs, which covered his life experiences and various interactions with the leading artistic figures of his day. The memoirs were dictated to his daughter Adelaide who oversaw their publication. That same year he was awarded a pension by George IV.