Adam's Important Irish Art September 26th 2018

53 www.adams.ie Important Irish Art | 26th September 2018 44 PATRICK PYE RHA (1929-2018) Abraham’s Sacrifice Triptych, oil and pastel on card, 48cm x 82cm (19 x 32¼’’) Dated 1988 Patrick Pye was not raised in a religious household, however he developed a strong sense of faith and converted to Catholi- cism in his thirties. A talented artist from a young age he drew great inspiration from the religious paintings of El Greco, being drawn to his dramatic and expressionistic style. In 1957, Pye won the Mainie Jellett Scholarship, a stipend that allowed him to travel Europe and, in particular, to visit the National Museum of Barcelona where he was further inspired by its collection of Romanesque Catalan art. From here, much of Pye’s artistic output was dictated by Christian iconography and many of his pieces now hang in religious institutions. Abraham’s Sacrifice is typical of Pye’s spiritual works, using art to bring his faith into the physical spectrum. In his own words, Pye wished “to open the doors of perception so that the outer world is seen united with its spiritual meaning.” Here, Pye breaks down a complex narrative into bold blocks of colour and presents us with the Old Testament story of Abraham and Isaac. Having been ordered by God to sacrifice his son, Abraham is bent over Isaac with his knife raised. In pathetic fallacy, the day has grown dark, with the tumultuous sky raging above. To the left, the shadow continues, with an ominous cross extending towards the viewer to guide their line of vision to rest on the tragic form of the pieta. The two scenes complement each other, urging the viewer to draw parallels between the two stories and to reminisce on God’s ultimate sacrifice for his people. In stark contrast, the right-hand panel completes the narrative on a more joyous note. The bright blue sky is interrupted only by the rainbow, a symbol acting as a reminder of God’s covenant with man. A sacrificial ram is presented to Abraham to take the place of his son as a sign of God’s mercy, the purity of its white coat being reflected in the angel’s robes above. This panel, though not the focus of the work, is instrumental to the piece as it converts the image to one of optimism and hope. Helena Carlyle, August 2018 € 3,000 - 5,000