Born in 1923 (d. 2002) in Ireland, Brother Joseph McNally arrived in Malaya in 1946 as a teacher with the De La Salle Order of Brothers. An accomplished painter and sculptor, Brother Joseph received in 1998 the Montblanc de la Culture Award. In 2004, his ‘Counsellor II’ was erected on the grounds of the National Museum of Ireland, County Mayo.The fairly clean outline of ‘Horseman, pass by’ resembles Brother Joseph’s 1968 painting ‘The Battle of Moytura’ – both inspired by Yeats. Here, rider and horse depend on each other for centre of gravity, the rearing posture of the individual and his waving hand, together with the subtle twist of the open-mouthed horse injects movement called to a halt in the work. The smooth knot of the head and the angular qualities found in the work are characteristic elements of balance and geometry that Brother commonly used in this period.
