Artist Robert Barnes (American, b. 1934)
Title Mag Mell
Series Paradise
Date 2010
Medium Oil on canvas
Dimensions Overall: 63 3/4 × 69 1/2 × 2 3/4 in. (161.9 × 176.5 × 7 cm)
Credit Line Museum purchase with funds from the Jacqueline O'Brien Art Acquisitions Fund and the Elisabeth P. Myers Art Acquisition Endowment Fund, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 2010.84
About this Work
Robert Barnes taught in IU’s fine arts department for thirty-five years before retiring in 1999. Although residing primarily in Bloomington, Indiana; Umbria, Italy; and Searsport, Maine, he is loosely associated with the Chicago Imagists because of his training at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, his figurative subjects, and representation by major Chicago art dealers. One thing that set his work apart from the Hairy Who and Monster Roster artists is Barnes's interest in stories from history, literature, and folklore.
In Celtic mythology, paradise lies on an island to the west of Ireland, or in a kingdom under the sea. In this image a boatload of travelers embarks on their journey to Mag Mell, a place of immortality, beauty, and happiness accessible only to a select few. Sacred fish (related to the legend of Finn McCool and the Salmon of Knowledge) leap in the center of the image, while mistletoe suggests strength and power. Under a coral-colored reef, a beautiful aquatic world can be glimpsed. Rather than the destination, Barnes shows the journey--paradise is represented in the background as a dot of glowing yellow light.
