Richard Ryan works primarily, though not exclusively, with monochrome palettes. Here we see a rhapsody in blue. In parts, he has thinned his watercolor to the point of near transparency. In other parts, dense application details the fine structure of the petals’ veins. The stem rises above and casts a shadow on a flat, watery surface. The clarity of the shadow underscores the calm of the scene. The blossom stands boldly before a pristine white field.
The blue iris has long been associated with the Virgin, for she wears a blue mantle, and the shape of the leaves resemble the swords that pierce her heart. Whether Ryan had mystical associations in mind as he made this work we do not know but its reverential beauty is plain to see.
