Lot 38: Standing Ram

John B. Flannagan (1895-1942)
Standing Ram
carved stone
9½ in. (24.1 cm.) high on a painted wood base 1¼ in. (3.2 cm.) high
Executed circa 1927-39.

Private collection, Brooklyn, New York, circa 1940s.
Christie's, New York, 4 December 2003, lot 110.
Acquired by the present owner from the above.

Property from a Southern Collection

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John Flannagan rejected academic tenets early in his career to produce a body of work that is refreshingly primitive, mystical and timeless. First working with stone around 1925, the artist focused the majority of his work on the subjects of animals and mother and child. His sculptures emerged from the direct carving of found field stones that were native to the area where he was living at the time, primarily areas around New York State and Ireland. In works such as Standing Ram Flannagan's conscious awareness of the art and symbols of the past combines with his sensitivity to medium to create a sculpture that is simultaneously primitive and modern.