Ronald Ossory Dunlop (1894-1973) was a writer and painter of landscapes and figures. Born in Dublin to a Scottish-Irish Quaker family, Dunlop studied at Manchester School of Art, Wimbledon College of Art and later in Paris. He became a prolific exhibitor at the likes of the Royal Academy, the New English Art Club, Leicester Gallery, and the Royal Society of Arts.

Although Dunlop did not turn to art professionally until well into his twenties, his colourful landscapes became highly popular. After a debut exhibition at the Redfern Gallery in 1928, every one of Dunlop’s paintings sold in the subsequent show there the following year.

Dunlop painted alla prima or ‘at first attempt’. It refers to the technique of applying wet paint to previous layers of wet paint, often in a single sitting. The artist’s early paintings were heavily impastoed, with paint often applied thickly with a palette knife. Towards the end of his career, Dunlop favoured a sable brush for a “more flowing rhythm of line”, resulting in a thinner, less textured finish.

 In 1931, he joined The London Group of artists and in 1950 became a Royal Academician. Dunlop’s work is characterised by a “painterly exuberance” and can be seen in several public galleries, including the Tate, the National Portrait Gallery, the V&A and the RA Collection.