During the late 19th century, Japanese art and artefacts flooded onto European markets, where it inspired Impressionists and Post-Impressionists including Monet, Toulouse Lautrec and Van Gogh. In what became known as Japonisme ¸ artists either directly depicted Jap- anese objects and costumes in their art (such as Tissot) or chose to incorporate certain qualities of Japanese art into their works (such as Degas and Cassatt). These qualities, seen in ukiyo-e woodblock prints as the main imported fare, included strong, expressive lines, flat picture planes, unique angles and bold colours and patterns.

In Hero, Brendan McGorry bridges the gap between these two modes of incorporation. While there are stylistic elements reminiscent of Japonisme through the inclusion of Japanese accoutrements, the works take on their own meaning through the depiction of his grand- daughter Aaliya – who is portrayed as a warrior princess.

In Cleopatra, his granddaughter sits in a pose reminiscent of rulers in imperial portraits, donning royal purple and jewellery, her gaze directed at us, her power apparent. In Portrait of the artists granddaughter in the studio, she stands contrapposto, wearing a full-length kimono tied with an obi and holding a katana on her shoulder, while in The Warrior Prin- cess, Aaliya is wearing chain mail armour. In each of the works, the art historical canon surrounding portraiture is alluded to, whilst Surrealist motifs and Art Nouveau floral pat- terns surround the figure, creating dreamlike scenes. Historic and aesthetic references are juxtaposed with contemporary features such as thick leather boots, striped socks or a cat idly walking by.

The use of his granddaughter as muse continues previous work McGorry has done where he focusses on genealogy (including Great Expectations, 2015 and Walking home through the forest, 2009). And the genealogical aspects of his work are not only personal, but also artistic as this kind of bridging is characteristic of McGorry’s oeuvre overall, where he seamlessly merges multiple genres. In Hero, along with Japonisme, he has included elements of Surrealism, COBRA, Orphism and Abstract Expressionism. These aspects serve to create conceptual layers that are mutually reinforcing, enabling a sincerity in the way McGorry presents his subject and reflecting an awareness of the interconnectedness inherent across the history of art.