Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 15 works by James Peter Quinn in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals James Peter Quinn left, the most famous is A Japanese Lady (1914), in the collection of the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. Close behind it come Lillias Hamilton (1858–1925), Physician (1924) and LIEUTENANT R.G. COMBE, THE VICTORIA CROSS (1910). Our catalog holds 15 works by James Peter Quinn; the gallery has kept the 13 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
A Japanese Lady is a portrait executed by James Peter Quinn in 1914. The work focuses on a woman characterized by her dark hair and traditional Asian attire. Quinn, an Australian portraitist born in Melbourne, established a significant presence in the art world through his academic training in Paris and his later service as an official war artist.
The woman stands before us, draped in a heavy red cape that commands the space around her. She holds her hands clasped together, a gesture of quiet composure that suggests a mind accustomed to discipline and steady thought. Her attire, formal and purposeful, hints at a life lived within the rigorous structures of academia or the demanding precision of medicine. There is a stillness in her posture, yet the way…
The canvas holds a man of quiet weight. Lieutenant R.G. Combe sits in a three-quarter profile, his gaze directed toward an unseen point to the left. He wears a military tunic of deep olive green, the fabric rendered with thick, impasto strokes that suggest the heavy texture of wool. Light falls from the upper left, carving the contours of his face and casting soft, directional shadows that define the bridge…
In the portrait LIEUTENANT COLONEL W.A. BISHOP, James Peter Quinn presents a three-quarter length depiction of the military officer. The subject is positioned slightly off-center against a dark, indeterminate background that lacks specific environmental detail. This compositional choice focuses the viewer's attention entirely on the sitter and his attire. The officer is rendered in full military regalia, which includes visible medals, insignia, and a cross-belt. The arrangement of these elements…
The gaze of Major Okill Massey Learmonth meets the viewer through this formal oil portrait by the Australian portrait painter James Peter Quinn. Painted about 1918, the work captures a man defined by his service and the weight of his command. Learmonth holds the rank of acting Major in the 2nd (Eastern Ontario) Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, a position that carries a heavy sense of duty within the…
In this 1934 portrait, we find ourselves in the presence of William Self Weeks, captured in a moment of quiet, seated contemplation. The subject occupies the center of the frame, his presence established by a dark, formal suit and a waistcoat that suggests a life of significant standing. He sits within a dark wooden chair, his hands resting with a certain weight, one holding a folded piece of paper that…
George Bell (artist and critic) is a portrait by James Peter Quinn, executed about 1939. The sitter is George Bell, an Australian painter and teacher. Quinn, a prominent figure in Australian portraiture, captured the subject during a period of significant activity in the local art scene.
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 5 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by James Peter Quinn | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Canadian War Museum |
Ottawa | 3 | LIEUTENANT R.G. COMBE, THE VICTORIA CROSS, LIEUTENANT COLONEL W.A. BISHOP, Major Okill Massey Learmonth |
 Art Gallery of New South Wales |
Sydney | 2 | George Bell (artist and critic), The rendezvous |
 Walker Art Gallery |
Liverpool | 1 | A Japanese Lady |
 Government Art Collection |
London | 1 | Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (1850–1942) (copy after John Singer Sargent) |
 The National Trust For Scotland |
Forres | 1 | Fish Market at Étaples, France |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
A Japanese Lady is a portrait executed by James Peter Quinn in 1914. The work focuses on a woman characterized by her dark hair and traditional Asian attire. Quinn, an Australian portraitist born in Melbourne, established a significant presence in the art world through his academic training in Paris and his later service as an official war artist.
The woman stands before us, draped in a heavy red cape that commands the space around her. She holds her hands clasped together, a gesture of quiet composure that suggests a mind accustomed to discipline and steady thought. Her attire, formal and purposeful, hints at a life lived within the rigorous structures of academia or the demanding precision of medicine. There is a stillness in her posture, yet the way…
In this 1934 portrait, we find ourselves in the presence of William Self Weeks, captured in a moment of quiet, seated contemplation. The subject occupies the center of the frame, his presence established by a dark, formal suit and a waistcoat that suggests a life of significant standing. He sits within a dark wooden chair, his hands resting with a certain weight, one holding a folded piece of paper that…
A Japanese Lady (1914), Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. Lillias Hamilton (1858–1925), Physician (1924) and LIEUTENANT R.G. COMBE, THE VICTORIA CROSS (1910) come next.
45 years old: A Japanese Lady dates from 1914, and James Peter Quinn was born in 1869.
A Japanese Lady, Lillias Hamilton (1858–1925), Physician, LIEUTENANT R.G. COMBE, THE VICTORIA CROSS, LIEUTENANT COLONEL W.A. BISHOP, Major Okill Massey Learmonth, William Self Weeks, George Bell (artist and critic), C. J. Bowen Cooke, London and North Western Railway, Dr Robert Aitken (1869–1951) and Arthur (1850–1942), Duke of Connaught, President of the Bible Society (copy of John Singer Sargent). The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 15 works by James Peter Quinn, dated from 1910 to 1939.
Mostly in Canadian War Museum (Ottawa), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Sydney) and Walker Art Gallery (Liverpool). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1930s: 5 of the 13 works on this page were made then, William Self Weeks among them.
On this page, the earliest is LIEUTENANT R.G. COMBE, THE VICTORIA CROSS (1910) and the latest George Bell (artist and critic) (1939).
Man (5), Chair (3) and Portrait (3), across the 13 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 4 of the 13 works on this page.
LIEUTENANT R.G. COMBE, THE VICTORIA CROSS, LIEUTENANT COLONEL W.A. BISHOP and Major Okill Massey Learmonth: the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa holds 3 of the works on this page.
