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The 2 Most Famous Mabel Young Paintings, a Gallery Selection
Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 2 works by Mabel Young in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Mabel Young left, the most famous is A Bulldog (1900), in the collection of the Belton House, Grantham. Our catalog holds 2 works by Mabel Young; the gallery has kept the 2 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
1889 – 1974, Ryde
Most works: Belton House
Mabel Young's top 10 paintings: the gallery's choice
The museums that keep Mabel Young's originals
The museum that holds the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Mabel Young | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Belton House |
Grantham | 2 | A Bulldog, A Bulldog asleep on a Bed of Straw |
Mabel Young year by year: the originals that define each
1900 is the year of every dated Mabel Young work in this selection: here they are, ranked by fame.
Works per year
Pick a year to see its originals.
Collectors' questions about Mabel Young's paintings
Which work is Mabel Young most famous for?Reveal the answer
A Bulldog (1900).
What age was Mabel Young when A Bulldog was made?Reveal the answer
11 years old: A Bulldog dates from 1900, and Mabel Young was born in 1889.
How many paintings did Mabel Young leave?Reveal the answer
Our catalog holds 2 works by Mabel Young.
In which museums do Mabel Young's masterpieces hang?Reveal the answer
Mostly in Belton House (Grantham). The museum table above lists them all.
In which years did Mabel Young paint the most famous works?Reveal the answer
In 1900: 2 of the 2 works on this page were made then, A Bulldog among them.
Which Mabel Young works hang at the Belton House?Reveal the answer
A Bulldog and A Bulldog asleep on a Bed of Straw: the Belton House, Grantham holds 2 of the works on this page.
Mabel Young: life and work
A Life in Color and Landscape
Born in Ryde, United Kingdom, Mabel Young was a painter who spent much of her career in Ireland. Her early life was marked by significant transitions; after the decline of her father's coaching business, she worked as a seamstress before moving to Dublin in 1914. During the tumultuous events of 1916 and the civil war in 1922, she witnessed the violence of the era firsthand while living in Dublin. In 1924, she met Paul Henry in Kilmacanogue, County Wicklow, where she eventually ran a guesthouse at Carrigoona Cottage. This period was central to her life, as she later married Henry in 1954 following the death of his first wife.
Young's artistic output was characterized by a loose impressionistic style, with a particular focus on watercolour and oil studies. She specialized in capturing the essence of the Wicklow woods and glens, though her work is noted for a lack of depth. Her subjects often included:
Exhibitions and Legacy
Mabel Young was a frequent contributor to the Royal Hibernian Academy, exhibiting there from 1928 until 1961. Her work reached international audiences when her painting Sugar Loaf mountain was shown at the Helen Hackett Gallery in New York in 1928. Throughout her career, she held several solo exhibitions in Dublin, including shows at the Country Shop in St Stephen's Green and the Ritchie Hendriks Gallery. Beyond her own canvases, she played a vital role in preserving the legacy of Paul Henry by transcribing his autobiography, An Irish portrait, from his dictation.
Her artistic legacy is preserved in various institutions. The Ulster Museum holds her notebooks, while the Hugh Lane Gallery possesses an oil-on-board flowerpiece and a watercolour titled Autumn beech trees. While many of her watercolours remain in private collections, her presence in the Irish art landscape remains documented through her many exhibitions and her dedicated studies of the natural world.