St. Brendan's Monks on the Whale Island.
In this evocative painting of St. Brendan the Navigator, the artist captures a moment of wonder and fear upon a peaceful sea. The tranquil pastel sky contrasts with the tension aboard Brendan's boat as his monks, believing they have found an idyllic island, are met instead by the awakening of a colossal whale. Described in Gerard McNamara's translation of "The Voyage of Saint Brendan the Navigator" as a "stoned and grassless place with sandless coasts," the scene highlights the stark beauty of the marine world. As terror grips the monks, Brendan's calm reassurance reveals the truth; what they perceived as a new land is, in fact, the "first and greatest of all the swimming things." The painting invites viewers to reflect on the interplay between fear and faith, and the serene beauty that surrounds us, even in moments of uncertainty.
In this evocative painting of St. Brendan the Navigator, the artist captures a moment of wonder and fear upon a peaceful sea. The tranquil pastel sky contrasts with the tension aboard Brendan's boat as his monks, believing they have found an idyllic island, are met instead by the awakening of a colossal whale. Described in Gerard McNamara's translation of "The Voyage of Saint Brendan the Navigator" as a "stoned and grassless place with sandless coasts," the scene highlights the stark beauty of the marine world. As terror grips the monks, Brendan's calm reassurance reveals the truth; what they perceived as a new land is, in fact, the "first and greatest of all the swimming things." The painting invites viewers to reflect on the interplay between fear and faith, and the serene beauty that surrounds us, even in moments of uncertainty.
In this evocative painting of St. Brendan the Navigator, the artist captures a moment of wonder and fear upon a peaceful sea. The tranquil pastel sky contrasts with the tension aboard Brendan's boat as his monks, believing they have found an idyllic island, are met instead by the awakening of a colossal whale. Described in Gerard McNamara's translation of "The Voyage of Saint Brendan the Navigator" as a "stoned and grassless place with sandless coasts," the scene highlights the stark beauty of the marine world. As terror grips the monks, Brendan's calm reassurance reveals the truth; what they perceived as a new land is, in fact, the "first and greatest of all the swimming things." The painting invites viewers to reflect on the interplay between fear and faith, and the serene beauty that surrounds us, even in moments of uncertainty.
Made with oil paint on gallery-wrapped canvas, this painting is 24 X 36 inches.