Peter E Lopez

Edward O'Brien, Mural Artist, 1910-1975 Peter E Lopez

The early Twentieth Century brought into America many second generations of artists, writers, inventors and seekers of wealth who were born of immigrants from Europe. One of the great mural painters was born in 1910 to first generation Irish parents in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His name was Edward O'Brien. Little is known about where we can see his earlier work. What we do know is that he left behind six mural masterpieces that were created between 1960 and 1975. Four murals were painted in New Mexico, one in Benet Lake, Wisconsin, at the St. Benedict's Abbey and another at the Catholic Parish of St. Pius V in Chicago, Illinois. What is so special about these murals is that they were created in places of worship and in Catholic institutes of learning. For more than three to four decades after their completion, they are still venerated today. Edward O'Brien's use of acrylic paints blended with egg tempera on dry plastered panels has been compared to those of Renaissance masters. With his minute attention to detail and patient layering of paint, the luminosity of the murals appears as if it was just completed recently. Edward O'Brien's work reflects his study of the Old Masters and their technique of capturing light and expression. His murals depict the artist's fascination with history and religion expressed through an eclectic mixture of landscapes, portraits and architecture. The murals reflect an influence of the great mural Mexican artists of the 1920s.