Robert Ballagh (b.1943) Homage to le Brocquy Mixed media with acrylic on board, 43 x 28cm, (17 x 11'') Provenance: David Hendriks Gallery, Dublin, where purchased by Dr & Mrs J.B. Kearney and...

Robert Ballagh (b.1943) Homage to le Brocquy Mixed media with acrylic on board, 43 x 28cm, (17 x 11'') Provenance: David Hendriks Gallery, Dublin, where purchased by Dr & Mrs J.B. Kearney and their sale in these rooms December 2007, lot no 1; where purchased by the current owner Ballagh's paintings and screenprints depicting the works modern masters being viewed in the gallery space are well known and widely exhibited. The works contain an element of reflexivity in that often they depict the work of Pop artist, a label that has been applied to Ballagh himself. The best known of these types of works include Andy Warhol's and Roy Lichtenstein's, the internationally renowned kings of Pop. In making the viewing of these works the subject of his own practice, it may be that Ballagh is caught in the act of self-promotion, attempting to - and perhaps succeeding in - putting his own work on a par with the Americans. Homage to Le Brocquy is different. Here Ballagh refers to himself only in that the style of the male figure and the composition of the work are recognisable as his alone. Yet the true subject of this work is Le Brocquy's unparalleled contribution to the Irish art world. Here Ballagh steps down and allows another to take the limelight. This work is unusual not only in its reference to Le Brocquy, but the media used is remarkable. While other works in this style are screenprints or flat grids of square paintings, this work boasts a real sense of space. The Le Brocquy is not merely represented in paint but is given a great sense of presence as it appears as a real canvas within the tray frame. The apparent difference between the style of the rendered Le Brocquy and the male figure that stands before it on the glass of the picture draws attention to the disparity of the two artist's styles. More significantly, it demonstrates the way in which artists whose works are perceived as entirely different may continue to draw influence from, and have masses of respect for, each other.

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