Rory Breslin Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Rory Breslin Art Value Price Guide

May. 27, 2024
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE SEPTEMBER MARINE MASK
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE SEPTEMBER MARINE MASK bronze and stainless steel; (no. 1 from an edition of 3) signed and numbered on left side h:26 w:17.50 d:7.50 in. The Clew Bay Marine Series are a collection of bronze 'seascapes', chronicling by season the wealth and variety of sea life in the Bay. A microcosm of the abundance and richness of Irish marine life and of our human relationship with the sea, the works celebrate the beauty, diversity and also the tenacity of life on our coasts. The latent energy that permeates the sculpture underlines that dynamic tenacity, pushing the techniques of bronze sculpture extensively to gain spatial and emotional tension and immediacy. With an abundance of energy a great Atlantic salmon arcs around the upper aspect of the sculpture. The sagacious fish of Irish legend that ate the nine hazelnuts from the well of wisdom cuts through the oscillating kelp this muscular and regal fish curves downwards mouth agape in search of prey. The furbelows the salmon swims through encapsulates the full work on either side, from the textured blades at the top to the frills and ruffles, designed to dissipate wave energy, at the base. From the forehead down, a clique of native oysters nestle between the countenance and the fish above. Ostrea edulis, an ancient human food source, fifty to sixty of which were reportedly eaten a day by Giacomo Casanova. The fish-nurturing egg wrack, feamainn bhuí, adorns the cheeks and a flowing shoal of sprat swims downwards from the cheeks of the adolescent eventually separating the kelps two holdfasts.
Whyte's
Mar. 11, 2024
Rory Breslin (b.1963) NOVEMBER MASK
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) NOVEMBER MASK bronze; (no. 1 from an edition of 3) signed and numbered upper left h:25 w:15 d:9.50 in. From the Clew Bay Series, which chronicles and celebrates the emergence of native flora and fauna as they appear by month in the Co. Mayo bay area, The November Mask is pensive and reflective. Eyes downcast and contemplating, the visage is reflective of Samhain, the beginning of the new Celtic year. The liminal or threshold festival, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld thinned. With an abundance of energy two grey herons, guardians of the treasures of the otherworld in Irish mythology, swoop down to haggle over a fish. Wings akimbo and necks outstretched they frame the subdued face of the youth. Enveloped within the birds from below the chin up are creeping ivy, cones of the Scots pine and on either side of the temples shaggy inkcap mushrooms. Dapperling mushrooms and ivy on either side soften the vigorous thrust of the birds.
Whyte's
Dec. 06, 2023
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The November Marine Mask Bronze, stainless steel, 67 cm high x 36 wide Edition 1 of 3 The Clew Bay Marine Series are a series of bronze 'seascapes', chronicling by month the wealth and variety of sea life in Clew Bay
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The November Marine Mask Bronze, stainless steel, 67 cm high x 36 wide Edition 1 of 3 The Clew Bay Marine Series are a series of bronze 'seascapes', chronicling by month the wealth and variety of sea life in Clew Bay. A small shoal of juvenile red gurnards, the grunting fish, cascade from the upper central aspect of the sculpture with brown crabs like protective sentinels on either side of the fish. Eaten by hominoids since the cave dwelling Neanderthals, the goddess Hera placed the pagurus amongst the stars as the constellation Cancer. The fish and the crabs are tethered to a coif of sequentially patterned mussels or Diu?ilici?n, the makers of 'sea silk' much coveted by Roman and Greek emperors. The mussels are overlapped on either side of the youth's cheeks by serrated wrack, rich in minerals and known for its potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Two large sea urchins are partially enveloped by the wrack which also cups on either side the great sea bean, the Entada Gigas, deposited at Dooagh in Achill Island from the tropics of South America by the Gulf Stream and its continuation, the North Atlantic Drift. Below the urchins and the wrack, two curved mermaids purses, incubators of sharks, skates, and chimaeras, frame the lower section of the mask. The ever-bobbing common sandpiper leaves its prints and its exploratory beak holes in the cheeks of the sedate and peaceful youth.
Adam's
Dec. 04, 2023
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE JULY MARINE MASK
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE JULY MARINE MASK bronze and stainless steel; (no. 1 from an edition of 3) signed and numbered on right side h:26.50 w:14.50 d:9 in. The Clew Bay Marine Series are a series of bronze 'seascapes', chronicling by month the wealth and variety of sea life in Clew Bay. A great dusk-hunting Thornback Ray glides forward, its wings elegantly up-curved. Running externally underneath this Raja and flowing to a bow at the base of the work, the intertidal Bladderwrack, used as fertiliser of potato 'lazy beds' and in folklore for protection against mental derangement; encapsulates the remainder of the marine iconography. From the top the blind and regimental razor fish are arranged like strata in formation to the lower jawline. Below these and foraging in the Wrack, two shore crabs at odds with each other on either side of the seaweed, Dead Man's fingers, Codium Fragile, that curl up below the chin. Perwinkles, an ancient human food source, adorn the seaweed while the inquisitive and open-mouthed youths countenance is decorated in the spiralling curls of the Lugworms castings. 'But while he passed before a plashy place, A lug-worm with its grey and muddy mouth Sang that somewhere to north or west or south There dwelt a gay, exulting, gentle race Under the golden or the silver skies' — W.B. Yeats
Whyte's
Oct. 02, 2023
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE AUGUST MASK [CLEW BAY SERIES]
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE AUGUST MASK [CLEW BAY SERIES] bronze; (no. 1 from an edition of 3) signed and numbered on top h:31 w:12 d:11 in. The expression of the youthful August Mask is stoic and quite a bit determined. A plethora of symmetrically balanced leaves issue from the top of the work to the bottom. The first, a canopy of Twayblade orchid leaves overhang the crisscrossed leaves of the Marsh orchid and two rosettes of Spear thistle on either side of the head. Folklore of both ancient Ireland and Greece tell of mixing the roots of orchids with goat's milk to make love potions. The thistle, James II choice of emblem for Scotland was picked because of its defensive symbolism...'Nemo me impune lacessit', 'Nobody touches me with impunity'. Below the thistles, leaves of the Doves tail crane bill, complete with their flowers frame the lower arc of the sculpture. Acrobatically flying through the cascade of leaves, four blue tits fly harmoniously reflecting each other at the upper and lower sections of the sculpture. The tails of the upper birds graze flowers of the Devil's Bit, named from the fact that its roots look truncated, as if bitten off, legend has it, by the Devil. A series of plants curve inwards with the youth's face from the chin up. Leaves of the much maligned Ragwort and the pointed buds of Goat's Beard, whose flowers close up at noon. Seedbuds of Plaintan follow the cheekbones and lastly Patrick's emblem, used to explain the essence of the Holy Trinity to King Aengus, the clover subtly hangs down from the forehead.
Whyte's
Sep. 27, 2023
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The August Marine Mask - Clew Bay Series Bronze, stainless steel, 67 cm high x 36 wide (26½ x 14) Signed and numbered 1/3 The Clew Bay Marine Series are a series of bronze 'seascapes', chronicling by season the wea
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The August Marine Mask - Clew Bay Series Bronze, stainless steel, 67 cm high x 36 wide (26½ x 14) Signed and numbered 1/3 The Clew Bay Marine Series are a series of bronze 'seascapes', chronicling by season the wealth and variety of sea life in the Bay. A microcosm of the abundance and richness of Irish marine life and of our human relationship with the sea, the works celebrate the beauty, diversity and also the tenacity of life on our coasts. The latent energy that permeates the sculpture underlines that dynamic tenacity, pushing the techniques of bronze sculpture extensively to gain spatial and emotional tension and immediacy.
Adam's
May. 31, 2023
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The October Marine Mask Bronze and stainless steel, 67 (h) x 36cm Number 1 from an edition of 3
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The October Marine Mask Bronze and stainless steel, 67 (h) x 36cm Number 1 from an edition of 3 A great shawl of oscillating Furbelows encapsulates the mask, its holdfast or ‘Sea Hedgehog’ set firmly under the chin. Within the frills and ruffles of this Kelp, emerges Homarus Gammarus, the European lobster. This crustacean presides over a panoply of Goose Barnacles, whose legend, propagated in Cambrensis’s Topographia Hiberniae, that the Barnacle Goose and the Goose Barnacle “fruit” were intertwined, the former springing from the latter. In a flurry of activity and diving through the Barnacles on either side, two Northern Gannets plunge to capture the startled herrings, the silver of the sea, the fish so economically fundamental in European history that they prompted the founding of many cities, including Amsterdam and Copenhagen. The aquatic resonance of the mask is amplified by the gently rising bubbles from the mouth of the attentive countenance of the youth and the marine green patina of the mask.
Adam's
May. 29, 2023
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE APRIL MASK
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE APRIL MASK bronze; (no. 1 from an edition of 3) signed and numbered at top h:23.75 w:12 d:6 in. The fourth mask from the Clew Bay Series, which observes the annual emergence of native flora and fauna as they appear in the Co. Mayo bay area. With a look of intense curiousity, the countenance of the youth is animated and engaging. Crowned with a cascade of Wild Parsnip or Cuirdín bán leaves atop which two symmetrical and spiralling Egrets vie for their meal. Rare in Ireland until recent, the egret is highly revered by the Cherokee, its feathers associated with peace and worn by diplomats when peace making. Below the crown of leaves, framing the face, and used occasionally for St Brigid’s cross, are two pairs of Bullrushes, behind which are the leaves of the Common Nettle and Bramble. Climbing inwards from forehead, cheeks and chin are Bush Vetch and Sticky-backs or Cleavers, the former once boiled to make a remedy for measles and smallpox while the latter an old remedy for burns and wounds. From either side of the base of the rushes and underneath the chin, are a circular ruff of the satellite-like leaves of the Marsh Violet. Interspersed within the leaves are the flowers of the Violet and also the Bluebell, the flower of Endymion.
Whyte's
Apr. 18, 2023
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The September Mask
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The September Mask bronze - number 1 from an edition of 3 signed and numbered 'BRESLIN 1/3' h:66 w:35.50 d:26 cm. Provenance: Private Collection The ninth mask in the Clew Bay Series, which chronicles and celebrates the emergence of native flora and fauna as they appear by month in the Co. Mayo bay area, The September Mask is alert and engaging. With her deep dark eyes assertively arresting the viewer, and, appearing in expression to address them, this assuredness is somewhat softened by the Nóinín mór or Oxeye Daises, appropriately framing her eyes above and on her cheekbones. Leaves of the Ribwort Plantain, in folklore chewed and applied to a sore to encourage healing, drape from her temples and envelope the lower part of the work encasing Blackberries, Rosehips and Willowherb leaves. Shaped like a Lunula with wings outstretched, below the Sparrow cuts through the undergrowth. Sacred to Aphrodite, but lecherous to Shakespeare, this bird is escaping the dramatic dive of the Sparrow-hawk. This 'bird of the wind' energetically crowns the piece, its dynamism softened only by the nexus of Bindweed flowers.
Morgan O'Driscoll
Mar. 06, 2023
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE FEBRUARY MASK
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE FEBRUARY MASK bronze; (no. 1 from an edition of 3) signed and numbered at side h:35 w:16 in. Two pheasants peer out from each others wings that envelope the whole of the work like a monk's hood, an intimation of winter's lingering cold hold. Connected above by the star-like leaves is the Narrow Leaf Plantain or Slánlus said to prevent blood poisoning and encourage healing in a fresh cut. The long feathered symmetrical crescents are broken slightly by the leaves of Cats Ear on either side. The countenance of this piece seems to be stubborn and slightly obdurate, further underlining the long duration of the winter span. Under the over-hanging wings from the forehead down, the tenacious harbingers of Spring emerge. In a nutshell, Hazel Catkins in subtle shadow, the reputed sting balming Water Dock leaves that unroll and drop down from either side of eye. On chin and cheekbones, Margherita's daisies, as dictated by Goethe, arc the lower part of the face. And finally the Jenny, Lysimachia nummularia, creeping from either side of the lower tail feathers.
Whyte's
Mar. 01, 2023
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The March Mask Bronze, 67cm high x 41.5cm wide (35 x 16) Number 1 from an edition of 3
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The March Mask Bronze, 67cm high x 41.5cm wide (35 x 16) Number 1 from an edition of 3
Adam's
Dec. 07, 2022
Rory Breslin (b.1963) Daniel O'Connell Bronze 38cm high (15), Kilkenny Limestone base: 38cm diameter (15) 7.5cm high (3) Unique The National Portrait Gallery in London catalogues nine sculptural depictions of O'Connell. Five busts by...
Est: €3,000 - €5,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) Daniel O'Connell Bronze 38cm high (15), Kilkenny Limestone base: 38cm diameter (15) 7.5cm high (3) Unique The National Portrait Gallery in London catalogues nine sculptural depictions of O'Connell. Five busts by... P. Turnerelli (1828), C. Moore (1837), J. E. Jones (1843), J. Hogan (1850), Count A. D'Orsay (1849) and four statues by J. Hogan (1846 Limerick). J. Cahill (1865 Ennis and another sent to America in 1878) and J. H. Foley (1866, Dublin, and finished by finished by T. Brock after Foley's death) respectfully. Thomas Brock also executed the statue in Melbourne (1891) which bears an uncanny resemblance, though it is not as fulsome, to the Dublin rendition in terms of portraiture. Given the timeline, four of these renditions were done in O'Connell's lifetime, the rest posthumously and therefore reliant on the visual depictions of him as rendered by other artists. John Hogan's classical talents idealise his portrayals of O'Connell to the detriment of a likeness, especially that of the work in Dublin City Hall. Of the other three, the renditions of Peter Turnerelli and John Edward Jones, chime in terms of a likeness, with that of paintings of O'Connell from the period. Interestingly, Martin Archer's portrait of OConnell, is the only known official portrait to depict him with his natural receding hairline, rather than the recognisable mop of brown hair with which he was usually depicted. OConnell himself was capable of a joke about his baldness. In one election contest, he commented on the rather plain appearance of his opponent, a conservative barrister by the name of John B. West. Thus taunted, West replied, its all very well for Mr OConnell to attack me on my appearance, but I can tell you, if you saw Mr OConnell without his wig, he does not present a face which is much to boast of ... whereupon OConnell is said to have whipped off his wig for the crowds great appreciation. Turnerilli and Jones, like O'Connell, spent their working lives between Dublin and London at the time and would have had the chance to meet him and make some preliminary sketches. In the case of Jones, his bust would have been made immediately after O'Connell's Mayorship of Dublin, which ended in 1842. Exhibited in the RA in 1844, it is thought that the original of this bust is in the Crystal Palace Portrait Collection. A miniature copy of this piece or Turnelli's ( he allegedly sold 10,000 plaster copies ) is in Derrynane House and there is also one in the National Gallery of Ireland. The Rory Breslin's bronze, in terms of portraiture, draws on the influences of Jones and Turnelli in terms of countenance, given that both artists had in all probability, actually met O'Connell and discerned his appearance. Fragments of some of O'Connell's quotations are incised into the polished rear of the work. His face was like a Roman Emperors one of the strong Emperors square, heavy-jowled, with a broad nose and big eyes, rather pale from much work indoors. His hair was blacker, thicker, curlier and glossier than ever, being, in fact, a wig. Biographer Charles Chenevix Trench
Adam's
Dec. 07, 2022
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The July Mask Bronze, 75 cm high x 41.5 wide (35 x 16 ) Number 1 from an edition of 3 With a furor of energy, two fighting Mallards dominate the upper portion of the mask, their wings and feathers energetically akimbo
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The July Mask Bronze, 75 cm high x 41.5 wide (35 x 16 ) Number 1 from an edition of 3 With a furor of energy, two fighting Mallards dominate the upper portion of the mask, their wings and feathers energetically akimbo. In stark counterpose, the expression of the youth is contemplative and reflective as if recalling a distant memory. From beneath the mauling ducks a shawl-shape pair of Teasel leaves frame the face. Constricted by the Teasel and the wings of the ducks, are budding Loosestrife flowers, said by Lysimachus, one of Alexander the Great's generals, to calm fractious teams of oxen by driving away tormenting insects, thus 'loosing strife'. Pressed between the cheekbones and the Teasel are Ash berries and the flowers of the Dog Rose, while clambering upwards from below the chin, the old cure for melancholia, are the fronds of the Polypody fern. Spiralling downwards in counter-point to the ferns is a garland of Willowherb leaves that unfurl in amongst a bloom of Rubus fructicosus or Bramble flowers whose fruit are not to be eaten after Michaelmas Day, the day on which St. Michael cast Lucifer out of heaven, and Lucifer landed in a bramble thicket and cursed the brambles and spat on them.
Adam's
Nov. 28, 2022
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE SEPTEMBER MASK
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE SEPTEMBER MASK bronze; (no. 1 from an edition of 3) h:22 w:14 d:6.50 in. The ninth mask in the Clew Bay Series, which chronicles and celebrates the emergence of native flora and fauna as they appear by month in the Co. Mayo bay area, The September Mask is alert and engaging. With her deep dark eyes assertively arresting the viewer, and, appearing in expression to address them, this assuredness is somewhat softened by the Nóinín mór or Oxeye Daises, appropriately framing her eyes above and on her cheekbones. Leaves of the Ribwort Plantain, in folklore chewed and applied to a sore to encourage healing, drape from her temples and envelope the lower part of the work encasing Blackberries, Rosehips and Willowherb leaves. Shaped like a Lunula with wings outstretched, below the Sparrow cuts through the undergrowth. Sacred to Aphrodite, but lecherous to Shakespeare, this bird is escaping the dramatic dive of the Sparrow-hawk. This 'bird of the wind' energetically crowns the piece, its dynamism softened only by the nexus of Bindweed flowers.
Whyte's
Sep. 28, 2022
Rory Breslin (b.1963) General Michael Collins Bronze, 71cm high, 63cm wide (28 x 24¾) Signed Edition 3/3 Michael Collins bust is based on the interpretation of two images of him. The first is believed to have been taken not long before th
Est: €5,000 - €8,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) General Michael Collins Bronze, 71cm high, 63cm wide (28 x 24¾) Signed Edition 3/3 Michael Collins bust is based on the interpretation of two images of him. The first is believed to have been taken not long before the Treaty negotiations where his countenance is determined, his gaze fixed and his hair slightly tousled. The second from a Pathé news reel possibly taken in Richmond Barracks in full uniform. By combining elements of the images; the aura of resolve and tenacity, the uniform and subtly adjusting some aspects of the presentation, i.e., bowing the head slightly in thought, and unbuttoning the uniform; the bronze depicts a Collins resolute yet perhaps reflective. Deep in thought, he emanates the presence of a man with many things to contemplate and difficult decisions to make. To me the task is a loathsome one. I go in the spirit of the soldier who acts against his best judgment at the orders of his superior. On being sent to Downing St. for the negotiations.
Adam's
Sep. 28, 2022
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The September Mask Bronze, 67cm high, 38cm wide (26¼ x 15) Edition 1/3 The ninth mask in the Clew Bay Series, which chronicles and celebrates the emergence of native flora and fauna as they appear by month in the Co
Est: €5,000 - €8,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The September Mask Bronze, 67cm high, 38cm wide (26¼ x 15) Edition 1/3 The ninth mask in the Clew Bay Series, which chronicles and celebrates the emergence of native flora and fauna as they appear by month in the Co. Mayo bay area, The September Mask is alert and engaging. With her deep dark eyes assertively arresting the viewer, and, appearing in expression to address them, this assuredness is somewhat softened by the Nóinín mór or Oxeye Daises, appropriately framing her eyes above and on her cheekbones. Leaves of the Ribwort Plantain, in folklore chewed and applied to a sore to encourage healing, drape from her temples and envelope the lower part of the work encasing Blackberries, Rosehips and Willowherb leaves. Shaped like a Lunula with wings outstretched, below the Sparrow cuts through the undergrowth. Sacred to Aphrodite, but lecherous to Shakespeare, this bird is escaping the dramatic dive of the Sparrow-hawk. This 'bird of the wind' energetically crowns the piece, its dynamism softened only by the nexus of Bindweed flowers
Adam's
Sep. 26, 2022
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE GUINNESS MASK
Est: €5,000 - €7,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE GUINNESS MASK bronze with stainless steel; (no. 3 from an edition of 5) signed and numbered h:29.25 w:15.75 d:7 in. The Guinness Mask is an interpretation of the keystone head on the historic St. James Gate entrance to the Guinness brewery in Dublin. This enigmatic portrait of a youthful and confident woman, whose intensive gaze evinces a determined character, is framed by waves of the ears of barley, and hops symbolic of the making of ale. Probably a depiction of the agricultural deity Ceres or its Greek equivalent Demeter, this rendition appears to depict the artist's personification of Georgian beauty. The head diverges from a Classical sculptural rendering of the subject to what seems to be the artist's sensitive use of the features of perhaps a member of the Guinness family or someone close to him. When Arthur Guinness initially leased St. James Gate in 1759, he brewed ale. It was another ten years, on the 19th May 1769 before he exported his stout to England for the first time. The St. James arch was built adjacent to the site of the original St. James Gate, the city's western Customs House which lay just outside the medieval city of Dublin and was demolished in 1734. This gate's keystone was said to have represented either St. James; Ceres (the Goddess of Corn) or Bacchus (the Greek God of Wine and Merriment). The site was traditionally the start of a pilgrimage to Compostela and pilgrims from all over Ireland used to gather on this site to start the journey to Spain.
Whyte's
Sep. 26, 2022
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MICHAEL DAVITT, 2001
Est: €3,000 - €4,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MICHAEL DAVITT, 2001 bronze on marble base; (no. 3 from an edition of 6) signed, dated and numbered on reverse h:17 w:10.50 d:8 in. Dimensions of base: 12 by 11.5 by 2in. A study of Michael Davitt's head by Mayo based sculptor Rory Breslin, for the statue that stands outside the Michael Davitt Museum in Straide, Co. Mayo. Michael Davitt, a founding member of the Irish National Land League was born in Straide, Co. Mayo during the height of the famine. His family was evicted from there and forced to emigrate to Lancashire, England where Davitt had his arm amputated after an accident working in a mill at the age of 11. Davitt became involved with the Fenian movement in England and later, in the 1870s and 1880s he was instrumental in the enactment of the Irish Land Acts, and becoming a patron of the GAA and an MP. Rory Breslin studied art at the National College of Art and Design and in various parts of Europe. He co-founded the Head Sculpture gallery in Dublin and has had numerous solo drawing and sculpture exhibitions.
Whyte's
Jun. 06, 2022
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE MAY MASK
Est: €5,000 - €7,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE MAY MASK bronze; (no. 2 from an edition of 3) signed and numbered on ear h:35 w:16 in. Dimensions of base: 9 by 9 by 3.5in. The Clew Bay Series chronicles and celebrates the emergence of a selection of native flora and fauna as they appear by month in the Mayo bay area. Rhythmically framing the countenance of a native to the area, the bronze is rich and dense, a mimetic and uplifting tribute to the beauty and tenacity of the local environment. The youthful female face is fine and determined. Her deep eyes intonate a resolute and spirited character. She gently blows Zephyr-like, a warmth indicative of the coming of Bealtaine and of summer. The head is crowned by a tiara of the stamen of the Plantain or Slánlus plant with its inflorescence above it. Framing the eyes are orchid petals and on either side of the cheeks are the leaves of Hart's Tongue, an ancient fern that Dioscorides the Greek physician said was 'good against the stinging or biting of serpents'. Knitted through the Plantain and running either side of the mask from the crown to the earring discs below representing the sun and the moon, are a dense arrangement of Foxgloves. Below the chin, the elusive Marsh Cinquefoil flower buds are about to unfurl while at the top of the work off centre and with an abundance of energy, the swallow bears down on us from above.
Whyte's
Apr. 26, 2022
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The December Mask
Est: €5,000 - €7,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The December Mask bronze - numbered 1 from an edition of 3 signed and numbered 1/3 h:67 w:31 d:24 cm. Provenance: Private Collection The 12th Mask from the Clew Bay Series, which observes the annual emergence of native flora and fauna as they appear in the Co. Mayo bay area. With an air of pathos, the countenance of the youth is still, serene and his eyes virtually closed, perhaps deliberating in the scene above. Indicative of the cycle of life a raven succumbs, its head nestled in holly berries and its lifeless limp wings criss-cross and frame the upper right aspect of the work. Framing the left side and in full cry, its partner tenaciously clasps the edges of the heads veil, evocative of a blanket of snow. Beneath the veil and framing the face above the eyes are holly leaves and berries that according to Pliny if planted near a house or farm, repelled poison, and defended it from lightning and witchcraft. Scarlet elf cups, mushrooms, sarcoscypha austriaca, line the cheeks, their name emanating from the belief that elves drank the morning dew from them. While below the last few holly leaves and berries a collar ruff of witches butter. Tremella mesenterica, is crumpled below the chin.
Morgan O'Driscoll
Mar. 30, 2022
Rory Breslin (b.1963) Artemision Horse Study Bronze, 71cm high x 74cm long x 28cm wide (28 x 29 x 11) Edition 3/3 This sculpture is a study of the horse's head in one of the most popular and important displays in the National Archaeological Mu
Est: €5,000 - €7,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) Artemision Horse Study Bronze, 71cm high x 74cm long x 28cm wide (28 x 29 x 11) Edition 3/3 This sculpture is a study of the horse's head in one of the most popular and important displays in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, the bronze Horse and Jockey Group. The group was found in a shipwreck off Cape Artemision, in North Euboea, which was discovered in 1926. The first parts of the equestrian statue were recovered in 1928, with more pieces found in 1936 and possibly 1937. The statue was reassembled, and after restoration went on display at the Museum in 1972. The Horse and Jockey Group is special in being one of the few original large-scale bronzes securely dated to the Hellenistic period. It is approximately lifesize in scale and consists of a horse in mid- gallop, on which is seated a youthful jockey, who looks back over his shoulder. The Horse and Jockey group is unusual in combining an athletic sculpture with an animal. The unknown sculptor of this masterpiece has captured the excitement and vitality of a horserace in mid-action. Some scholars have previously dated the group from the late fourth century B.C. to the first century B.C. The statues have been attributed previously to various sculptors, including Kalamis, Lysippos and the Pergamene school.
Adam's
Mar. 07, 2022
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MASK OF THE SUIR
Est: €5,000 - €7,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MASK OF THE SUIR bronze; (artist's proof from an edition of 3) signed and inscribed [A/P] at top h:35 w:16 in. In The Mask of the Suir, the ornamentation and the beard represent wool and symbolise its subsequent manufacture. The moustache and beard have the characteristics of fine-spun wool, the face is open eyed and energetic. Over the head from side to side is draped the fell of a sheep which has symmetrically balanced at either end, the depiction of an icon of the processing of wool, to the left a single bow shears and to the right Alder cones to denote the use of the tree, its cones and bark in the wool tanneries along the river. Below the sheep three weaver's bobbins rise from a turban, whose folds have the broad creases of wool. Notable for its woollen mills at the end of the eighteenth century, Arthur Young in his Tour of Ireland (1780) speaks of Carrick-on-Suir as a centre of the woollen industry. In John Payne's Universal Geography (1797), he distinguishes Tipperary as rich in sheep. Adapted from Edward Smyth's River-God keystone, The Mask of the Suir is a larger than life-size depiction riverine on the North-Western facade of Dublin's Customs House.
Whyte's
Dec. 08, 2021
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The November Mask Bronze, 67 x 31cm (26½ x 12) Numbered 1/3
Est: €5,000 - €8,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The November Mask Bronze, 67 x 31cm (26½ x 12) Numbered 1/3
Adam's
Dec. 08, 2021
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The December Mask Bronze, 67 x 30cm (26½ x 11¾'') Numbered 1/3
Est: €5,000 - €8,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The December Mask Bronze, 67 x 30cm (26½ x 11¾'') Numbered 1/3
Adam's
Nov. 29, 2021
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MASK OF THE SHANNON
Est: €5,000 - €7,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MASK OF THE SHANNON bronze; (artist's proof from an edition of 3) signed at top h:35 w:16 d:6 in. Positioned on the Northern entrance of the Custom House as part of the central group of three, the adaptation of Edward Smyth's Shannon presents a youthful visage, dignified though perhaps slightly pensive in terms of expression. The forehead, cheeks and beard of the Shannon are framed with oak leaves, acorns and the intertwining boughs of the oak. Classical cornucopias, 'horns of plenty', over-flowing with grains and fruit such as corn, plums, damsons and pine-cones rise on each side of the trident at the apex of the head. The speculation is that the trident represents Limerick's sovereignty over the estuary and/or Athlone's jurisdiction of the grain and fruits of the central plain. In John Payne's Universal Geography (1797), he describes the river as flowing through a fruitful and fertile land. The depiction of the emblems of the oak are believed to be a reference to Cratloe Woods in County Clare, an important relic of Ireland's primeval forests. It is said that the beams for the roof of Westminster Hall were from these woods.
Whyte's
Sep. 29, 2021
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The October Mask Bronze, 75cm high x 41.5cm wide (35 x 16) Number 1 from an edition of 3 The Clew Bay Series chronicles and celebrates the emergence of a selection of native flora and fauna as they appear by m
Est: €5,000 - €8,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The October Mask Bronze, 75cm high x 41.5cm wide (35 x 16) Number 1 from an edition of 3 The Clew Bay Series chronicles and celebrates the emergence of a selection of native flora and fauna as they appear by month in the Mayo bay area. Rhythmically framing the countenance of a native to the area, the rendition of the flora is modelled with a baroque vitality, it is rich and dense, a mimetic and uplifting tribute to the beauty and tenacity of the local environment. The October Mask belongs to this series, with the countenance of the mask being determined and reticent, perhaps reflecting the shortening of days and the month of Deireadh Fómhair or end of harvest. The barn owl's enclosing wings reflect the slow cessation of growth in a protective and blanket- like embrace of the natural flora. On either side of the head of October, from the crown of her head to below her chin, a cascade of Mica Inkcap mushrooms steadily transforms to acorns and oak leaves. A flurry of Iris Pseudacorus seedpods or Feileastram, cure for rheumatism in Irish fokelore, radiates from her forehead, held in check by a headband of a leaf of the Iris. Two further leaves frame the lower face like a chinstrap. On either side of the seedpods two large Birch Milkcap mushrooms at her temples frame the lower part of the mask while the head of the Barn owl dominates the apex of the piece. The owl is brash, noisy and redolent of the ancient Irish legend of the Banshee. Our thanks to the artist for his help in cataloguing this lot.
Adam's
Sep. 27, 2021
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MASK OF THE LEE
Est: €5,000 - €7,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MASK OF THE LEE bronze; (artist's proof from an edition of 3) signed h:35 w:16 in. One of only two of the River-God masks to be centred on its base is indicative of the central position over the Northern entrance of the Custom House. This head, on the same architectural axis as Anna Liffey stresses Cork's importance as second city to Dublin. The Mask of the Lee is a larger than life-size adaptation of Edward Smyth's work on the Northern facade of Dublin's Customs House. It has the head of a patrician, with wavy hair redolent of strong bow waves with the moustache and beard undulating and rippling in harmony and suggestive of ocean waves. From the forehead rises a large upturned anchor, bound around its stock with a ships rope that is draped across the prows of two mastless ships with truncated bowsprits which are laden with barrels and bales. The anchor symbolises an important harbour and the ships and their cargoes to a sea-going trade of some importance.
Whyte's
Jun. 02, 2021
Rory Breslin (b.1963) - Mask of the Campanile, Demosthenes
Est: €5,000 - €8,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) Mask of the Campanile, Demosthenes Bronze, 68 cm high x 47 wide (26¾ x 18½) Number 2 from an edition of 3 Framed by his skull-cap and his energetic billowing hair and beard, the grave and meditative concentration on Demosthenes' face is created by the deep furrows of the fore-head, the protruding brows and the shadows in the corners of the eyes. The concentration of energy in his gaze is achieved by the profound working of forms. The orator's face carries an expression of determination and nervous intensity heightened by the polished gold light that illuminates his eyes. With his mouth slightly parted as if to speak, this image is wholly in accord with ancient writers' descriptions of Demosthenes (384-322 B.C.), which present him as an aggressive politician who defended the interests of Athens. The Mask of the Campanile is an interpretation of Thomas Kirks ' (1781-1845) key stone of Demosthenes on the West facing facade of the Trinity College Campanile. The other figurative keystones depict Homer, Socrates and Plato representing the liberal arts. The Campanile marks the central axis of the main front squares of the Trinity College campus. It was designed by Sir Charles Lanyon, and the foundation stone was laid 1st. December, 1852. Built by Henry Kingsmill at a cost of £3,500, it was complete by 1854. It is the most recent bell tower in a long line dating back to the original tower of the monastery of All Hallows. The college tradition and superstition holds that any student who passes beneath the campanile while the bell is tolling will fail their exams, causing some to never pass under it until they finish their time at Trinity College. On graduation day, a celebratory walk under Demosthenes is a rite of passage. Starting Bid: € 3500
Adam's
Jun. 02, 2021
Rory Breslin (b.1963) - The June Mask
Est: €5,000 - €8,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) The June Mask Bronze, 75 cm high x 41.5 wide (35 x 16 ) Number 1 from an edition of 3 From the Clew Bay Series, which chronicles and celebrates the emergence of a selection of native flora and fauna as they appear by month in the Mayo bay area, The June Mask is ebullient and assured at the arrival of mid-summer or Meitheamh. A panoply of native flora; Honeysuckle, ferns, and Common Self-heal bustle to emerge on either side of her face. They are contained by Plantain leaves and the expansive leaves of the Lesser Burdock, the burrs of which were the inspiration for the invention of 'Velcro' by Swiss engineer, George de Mestral. Framing the chin of June, leaves of the Coltsfoot cradle the seedpods of the Birds-foot. Trefoil with a further dense array of Honeysuckle below. Around the eyes are the star-shaped Common Butterwort, or Bodán meascáin, whose leaves await to digest unfortunate insects. The work is crowned by the Irish Hare, whose head pushes through the leaves of Burdock. Starting Bid: € 3500
Adam's
May. 31, 2021
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MASK OF THE SLANEY
Est: €6,000 - €8,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MASK OF THE SLANEY bronze; (artist's proof) signed and inscribed [A/P] h:24 w:16.50 d:6 in. Dimensions of base: 9.75 by 9.75 by 9.75in. Oysters, scallops, whelks, clams and a huge crab adorn the crown and the sides of The Mask of the Slaney indicative of the abundance of shellfish in Wexford harbour. Besides the crustaceans, ears of corn and other vegetation narrate a river, which for a great part of its length has been notable for its corn crops. The lively and undulating waves of the hair of the beard suggest a river of rapid flow. With its course roughly parallel to those of the Barrow and the Nore, the Slaney rises under Lugnaquilla and flows through Bunclody and Enniscorthy eventually flowing vigorously through the narrow gorge at Ferrycarrig. The Mask of the Slaney is a larger than life-size adaptation of Edward Smyth's River-God keystone depiction on the Western facade of Dublin's Customs House. Vigorously modelled, the face reveals an interesting fusion of baroque energy and classical control.
Whyte's
May. 31, 2021
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MASK OF THE LIFFEY
Est: €6,000 - €8,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MASK OF THE LIFFEY bronze; (no. 2 from an edition of 3) signed and numbered h:25.50 w:16 d:5 in. Dimensions of base: 9.75 by 9.75 by 9.75in. This is the last subject of the River Mask Series. Situated centrally over the main doorway of the Custom House to emphasise its pre-eminence, the only female in Edward Smyth's river-head series approaches the ideal of Greek classical beauty. This interpretation depicts the visage framed by her braided locks, flowing hair and crowned by flowers and fruits. Blackberries, peas, damsons and wildflowers are perhaps a reference to the Liffey's fertile banks as it flows through Dublin, while the Scots pine-cone and a diadem of ornamental ferns may refer to the rivers source at Kippure and the Wicklow Mountains. The symbol of maritime dominance, the trident is flanked by two broad spears or pilums. The suggestion has been made that these are symbolic of the rights of Admiralty possessed by the city over the waters of the port and the Bay of Dublin.
Whyte's
Mar. 22, 2021
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE THAMES MASK
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE THAMES MASK
Whyte's
Dec. 09, 2020
Rory Breslin (b.1963) Mask of the Suir Bronze, 88.5 x 41.5cm (35 x 16'') Artist's proof from edition of 3
Est: €7,000 - €10,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) Mask of the Suir Bronze, 88.5 x 41.5cm (35 x 16'') Artist's proof from edition of 3
Adam's
Dec. 07, 2020
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MASK OF THE BANN
Est: €8,000 - €12,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MASK OF THE BANN
Whyte's
Oct. 27, 2020
Rory Breslin (b.1963) Mask of the Blackwater
Est: €6,000 - €9,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) Mask of the Blackwater bronze - artist's proof aside from an edition of 3 signed and numbered A/P h:87 w:41 d:25 cm. Provenance: Private Collection An adaptation of Edward Smyth's River-God keystone depiction on the East façade of Dublin's Custom House. This mask rendition has a rather sad visage and deeply shadowed eyes. Over the brows are dripping river weeds and a multitude of small fish while crowning the whole is a basket piled high with round fruits, dimpled on one face, apparently apples. No part of Ireland was so notable for apple culture in the eighteen century as the upper valley of the Munster Blackwater. In Charles Smith's History of Waterford (1746) he states that…" in the west of this county….our eider has of later years been brought to great perfection; and besides enough for our own consumption, some hundred hogheads are yearly, in good fruit season, sent by sea to Dublin and other places".
Morgan O'Driscoll
Oct. 19, 2020
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE SOMERSET MASK
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
signed and editioned at top
Whyte's
Mar. 09, 2020
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MASK OF THE CAMPANILE, DEMOSTHENES [TRINITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN]
Est: €5,000 - €7,000
signed and editioned at top
Whyte's
Dec. 04, 2019
Rory Breslin (b.1963)Mask of BoyneBronze, 88.5 x 41.5cm (34¾ x 16¼'')Artist's Proof
Est: €7,000 - €10,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963)Mask of BoyneBronze, 88.5 x 41.5cm (34¾ x 16¼'')Artist's Proof
Adam's
Dec. 02, 2019
Rory Breslin (b.1963) ST. PATRICK'S MASK
Est: €5,000 - €7,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) ST. PATRICK'S MASK
Whyte's
Dec. 02, 2019
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE GUINNESS MASK
Est: €5,000 - €7,000
signed and numbered
Whyte's
Nov. 27, 2019
Rory Breslin (Irish, born 1963) The Somerset Mask 64cm (25 3/16in) high (excluding base)
Est: £4,000 - £6,000
Rory Breslin (Irish, born 1963) The Somerset Mask signed and numbered 'BRESLIN 1/5' (on the top) bronze with a green patina 64cm (25 3/16in) high (excluding base) For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Sep. 25, 2019
Rory Breslin (b.1963)Mask of the ErneBronze, 88.5 x 41.5cm (35 x 16'')SignedBearing fishy life in abundance, salmon, a pike with an eel in its jaws, shells and some of the flora of the Erne's banks, bullrushes, wildflowers etc., the River God's m
Est: €6,000 - €8,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963)Mask of the ErneBronze, 88.5 x 41.5cm (35 x 16'')SignedBearing fishy life in abundance, salmon, a pike with an eel in its jaws, shells and some of the flora of the Erne's banks, bullrushes, wildflowers etc., the River God's moustache and beard are rendered in a fashion which suggests the Erne's slow flowing waters. The Mask of the Erne is an interpretation of John Smyth's River-God keystone depiction on the South facade of Dublin's Customs House.The Erne keystone, one of fourteen emblematic renditions of the larger rivers of Ireland, is positioned to the left of the Doric tetra-style portico facing the Liffey. The River-Gods have survived the fires of 1789 and 1883 and the most devastating fire of May 25th 1921.Our thanks to the artist for his help in cataloguing this lot.
Adam's
Sep. 16, 2019
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE GUINNESS MASK
Est: €5,000 - €7,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) THE GUINNESS MASK
Whyte's
Sep. 16, 2019
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MASK OF THE ATLANTIC
Est: €8,000 - €12,000
signed and inscribed [A/P]
Whyte's
Jul. 03, 2019
Rory Breslin (Irish, born 1963) The Guinness Mask 74cm (29 1/8in) high, including base
Est: £4,000 - £6,000
Rory Breslin (Irish, born 1963) The Guinness Mask signed and numbered '2/5/BRESLIN' (to the top)bronze with a green patina and stainless steel74cm (29 1/8in) high, including base The Guinness Mask is an interpretation of the keystone head - most likely a depiction of the agricultural deity Ceres, or the Greek equivalent Demeter - on the historic St. James Gate, which stands at the entrance to the Guinness brewery in Dublin. This enigmatic portrait of a youthful and confident woman, whose intense gaze evinces a determined character, is framed by waves of the ears of barley, symbolic of the making of ale. When Arthur Guinness initially leased St. James Gate in 1759, he brewed ale. It would be another ten years, on the 19th May 1769, before he exported his stout to England for the first time. The St. James arch was built adjacent to the site of the original St. James Gate, the city's western customs house which lay just outside the medieval city of Dublin and was demolished in 1734. The site was traditionally the start of a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and pilgrims from all over Ireland used to gather on this site to start the journey to Spain.
Bonhams
Jun. 12, 2019
***PLEASE NOTE THE BASE OF THIS LOT IS BRONZE*** Rory Breslin (b.1963) Mask of the Barrow Bronze, 88.5 x 41.5cm (35 x 16'') Artist's proof from an edition of 3 The Mask of the Barrow is a larger than life-size adaptation of Edward Smyth's River-God
Est: €6,000 - €8,000
***PLEASE NOTE THE BASE OF THIS LOT IS BRONZE*** Rory Breslin (b.1963) Mask of the Barrow Bronze, 88.5 x 41.5cm (35 x 16'') Artist's proof from an edition of 3 The Mask of the Barrow is a larger than life-size adaptation of Edward Smyth's River-God keystone depiction on the South facade of Dublin's Customs House. The inherent symbolism presented in the work conjures the characteristics of the Barrow. Its visage presents an ill-humoured and almost sullen face suggestive of a slow-flowing river. The mouth is drawn down at the corners and exudes many small fish and water weeds which mingle with the beard. Above its broad and blunt nose, the top of the head is adorned by the fleece of a sheep, whose fore-legs hang down in front of two inverted vases, typical classical symbols of springs of water. The Barrow was renowned for its fisheries and there is the possibility that there were many sheep walks on it's banks. The twin vases, with the evocative water flowing from their mouths suggest that it is in its lower course, after it has received the waters of the Nore.
Adam's
May. 27, 2019
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MASK OF THE LIFFEY
Est: €8,000 - €12,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) MASK OF THE LIFFEY
Whyte's
Apr. 29, 2019
Rory Breslin (b.1963) Atlantic Mask
Est: €6,000 - €9,000
Rory Breslin (b.1963) Atlantic Mask bronze - artist's proof, aside from an edition of 3 signed and numbered A/P h:88.50 w:41.50 d:24 cm. Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner The only Ocean among the Irish river-heads, The Mask of the Atlantic is a slightly larger than life-size rendition of Edward Smyth's River-God keystone depiction on the North-Eastern facade of Dublin's Custom House. Intertwined with the Atlantic's beard and hair, redolent of the undulating wave surges and breakers of the ocean, are dolphins and other sea creatures vigorously modelled with a considerable baroque energy. The resolute and classical visage has above it a diadem of pearls and many maritime references. Poseidon's trident supports a crescent moon, symbol of the lunar influence on the tides. Navigational references complete the symmetry... to the left a binnacle with the word 'Atlantic' inscribed and to the right a compass card which can also be construed as a solar symbol with rays.
Morgan O'Driscoll