Drawn to the woodcuts prints of late 19th century Edvard Munch (the artist best known for ‘The Scream’), Japanese artist Shiko Munakata and the work of William Blake, John Ryrie has established himself as an adept storyteller through the medium of printmaking.

In “Aesop feeding Xanthus’s dog” Ryrie revives an excerpt from the ancient Greek mythos Aesop's Fable in his iconic woodcut style. The fable tells of Aesop, a lowly yet witty slave, who was tasked by Xanthus to bring food to ‘the one who loves me.’ Instead of bringing food to his master’s wife, he fed the family dog - an act of resistance against a woman who declared Aesop ‘too ugly’ to be a servant. Ryrie’s adoption of this classic fable continues an enduring tradition of artists who took interest in the cultures of ancient civilizations.

Ryrie is an esteemed printmaker. He was awarded the Grand Prize in the Silk Cut Award for Linocut Prints and a finalist in the Geelong acquisitive print awards, and is represented at the National Gallery of Australia. Interestingly, Aesop who is the focus of much of the artist’s work was also said to have been gifted a profound ability in storytelling.

Much like Aesop, Ryrie bears the gift of storytelling. In this work, Ryrie provides collectors with the unique opportunity to become the next custodian of this ancient fable - who will tell this story next?

John RYRIE (1961 - )
'Aesop feeding Xanthus's dog' 1991
woodcut on paper
Edition of 20
Image Size: 15 x 13 cm
Dimensions: 33 x 25 cm
Signed: Signed 'John Ryrie', editioned, titled, dated lower margin

Comes with Letter of Provenance
Small fold upper right corner.

Condition: Very Good: Describes a work of art's image as Excellent, but may show some small signs of surrounding wear to paper or frame. There are no tears to paper margin or disruption to the paint surface.

(c) John Ryrie / Copyright Agency