Lot 122: Melanie Le Brocquy HRHA (b.1919) St Patrick

Melanie Le Brocquy HRHA (b.1919) St Patrick Overthrowing Crom Cruach Bronze, 76.2cm (30'') high Provenance: The plaster cast which was exhibited at the above exhibitions was bought at the Living Art Exhibition and was given to the former owner's father and mother Mr and Mrs Stephen O'Mara on the occasion of their wedding. Exhibited: Royal Hibernian Academy, 1941, Cat. No. 404. Priced £25.0.0; Joint exhibition with Louis Le Brocquy in their studio in Merrion Row, 1942. First ''Irish Exhibition of Living Art'', 1943, Cat. No. 159, Price 25.0.0 under the title 'St. Patrick'. ''The Collectors Eye'' The Model Arts Gallery and Niland Gallery, Sligo, January - February 2004, The Hunt Museum, Limerick, March - April 2004. Cat No. 37 Literature: ''The Irish Art Handbook'', 1943, An article on Irish Sculpture by Arthur Power where the piece is well reviewed, p 8 (see below), illustrated; ''The Irish Times'', March 2001, Re: Work at St. Patrick's Cathedral; ''Collector's Eye'' 2004 Exhibition Catalogue, illustrated p20 When reviewing Melanie's joint show with Louis the Dublin Evening Mail, (Dec. 19th, 1942), mentions that ''St. Patrick'' has been much discussed and is believed to be the first representation of our national saint in the kind of garb he probably wore and not the vestments and paraphernalia invented centuries after his death as is usually his fate''. Melanie consulted the Rev. Myles Ronan before designing the statue and learned from him details of the costume being the seamless Roman cloak and that he would have been clean shaven and round-tonsured. Stephen Rynne's review in The Leader of the Irish Exhibition of Living Art (25/9/43) was ''why on earth does not someone buy and erect on a gigantic scale her terrific St. Patrick?''. The Irish Art Handbook was also published in 1943 where in an article on Irish sculpture Arthur Power wrote, ''Among other young sculptors we come to Miss Le Brocquy, who has shown great taste and flair in the work she has done. There is her St. Patrick, an arresting work, but not showing the conventional St. Patrick so loved by Irish sculptors a portly gentleman wearing his mitre and robes, and grasping his crozier, as balanced somewhat insecurely on the summit of Croagh Patrick... He was rather the man, the saint, of Miss Le Brocquy's conception; dynamic, tenacious, and able to outcast the Druidic spells with greater Christian spells; a man of force and mystery who could convince and transform a wayward nation. It was not done by mitres and robes; but dressed and working as Miss Le Brocquy has shown him''. Another version of this piece was donated to St. Patrick's Cathedral in March 2001