Combining a career as an artist and mother in 1960s Ireland raised eyebrows in Irish society, but, as Carole Pollard recounts, Nell Murphy Pollen did much to change perceptions.
During the second half of the 20th century sacred art provided a platform for Irish artists across all disciplines to showcase their work, and the relative abundance of commissions meant that many found a regular source of income to sustain their practice. One of these artists was Nell Murphy.
From the 1950s through to the 1980s the Catholic Church embarked on an ambitious church-building programme which produced some of the finest modern architecture in Ireland. Spurred on by pioneering architects like Wilfrid Cantwell, Liam McCormick and Richard Hurley, the Church commissioned artists to produce works of art to decorate and furnish these new churches. As a result of concerns over the authenticity and appropriateness of this genre, in 1956 the Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland (RIAI) established a Church Exhibition Committee which was responsible for a series of exhibitions of French, German and Irish sacred art in the late 1950s and early 1960s. These exhibitions ignited considerable interest.
The realm of faith illustrated in the Book of Kells can be elusive to modern audiences; however, a new study by Bernard Meehan provides valuable insights into this peerless manuscript