Adam's Important Irish Art 5th December 2018

102 94 OISÍN KELLY RHA (1915-1981) Horse and Rider Bronze, 46cm high Edition 1/8 This bronze by Oisín Kelly was cast in 1975 at the Dublin Art Foundry as one of an issue of eight. The casting was supervised by the artist himself. Throughout his career, Oisín displayed a special interest in portraying horses in various contexts. One of his best-known public works is his large ‘Chariot of Life ’ at the Irish Life Centre, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin, which portrays a charioteer driv- ing his two-horse chariot through the flames. On a much smaller scale, he has represented horses racing towards the finishing post in a bronze piece, as well as a delightful wood-carving of a single horse and jockey at full gallop. In the present work, he models a horse and rider in a relaxed pose: the rider has an air of contemplation, while the horse grazes peacefully beneath him. Fergus S. Kelly, son of Oisín Kelly, and author of The Life and Work of Oisín Kelly , with photography by Hugh McElveen (Derreen Books, 2015) € 10,000 - 15,000