161 / 208
161
www.adams.ieImportant Irish Art 2
nd
December 2015
181 PATRICK HENNESSY RHA (1915-1980)A Prospect of Clonmacnoise
Oil on canvas, 76.2 x 127cm (30 x 50”)
Signed
Provenance: The Ritchie Hendriks Gallery, Dublin, where purchased by Charles W. Nicols Jr.
Cork artist Patrick Hennessy’s painting skills were recognised early in his career, winning a scholarship to study at Dundee College in
Scotland, and a further one which enabled him to travel to Paris and Rome. During his time at Dundee he met Henry Robertson Craig
and both were taught by James McIntosh Patrick RSA. Hennessy also travelled throughout Europe and to Morocco, but returned to
Ireland in 1939, dividing his time between Cork and Dublin, where he exhibited regularly at David Hendriks Gallery and from 1941 at the
RHA. He was elected a member of the Academy in 1949. His works can be found in major public collections such as the National Gallery
of Ireland, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery, Ulster Museum and Crawford Gallery.
Hennessy did a number of works from the early 1960’s featuring photo montages many, as in this case, featuring the “Josephine Bruce”.
The photos are pinned to the wall using charity flags from the likes of St. Vincent de Paul and the Order of Malta. Clonmacnoise is one
of Ireland’s most famous ancient monasteries founded by Saint Ciarán in the sixth century. It was where the nobility of Connaught had
their children educated and thus its name which translates “the secluded recess of the sons of Nobles’. For many centuries it was the
favoured burial place of Irish Kings and many believed right into the 19th Century that all persons interred there would pass immediate-
ly from Earth to Heaven. It was in fact a settlement of some considerable size as reflected in the number of crosses, churches and towers
still surviving. It was situated on an important site at a crossing of the Shannon on the main East to West road and still impressive today
especially if approached by boat.
€ 6,000 - 8,000