Ulster Sheep (1995) Rod Coyne (Irish, b. 1969) Acrylic on Canvas | Signed & Dated | Exhibited Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, 2001

Rod Coyne’s Ulster Sheep is not just a painting—it is a visual indictment of sectarian manipulation, religious fervor, and the intergenerational cost of political theater.

At its center looms a colossal figure, unmistakably modeled on Rev. Ian Paisley, rendered as a thunderous orator with a mouth that dominates the sky—evoking both pulpit and battlefield. Dressed in the ceremonial orange of the Protestant loyalist tradition, his massive form becomes a backdrop for a chaotic street scene below:

A child, fist raised, symbolizing either indoctrinated rage or youthful defiance

A burning, overturned car, emblematic of disorder, sacrifice, or abandonment

A placard, clinically stating: “This procession does not comply. Those taking part are guilty of an offence.”

The title Ulster Sheep speaks plainly: this is a statement about mass behavior, herded ideology, and spiritual weaponization. Painted in 1995, it lands between the paramilitary street violence of the 1980s and the hopeful—but tentative—path to reconciliation emerging in the late 1990s.

Coyne's brushwork balances caricature with realism, forcing the viewer into discomfort. This isn’t propaganda—it’s post-propaganda, exposing the tools of myth-making at the very moment they were still in use. The fact it was accepted into the Royal Ulster Academy of Arts in 2001, at a time when many institutions shied away from divisive subjects, is a testament to its gravity and relevance.

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🔒 Provenance & Condition

Exhibited: Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition, 2001

Original Label affixed verso

Signed & Dated lower right: "R. Coyne '95"

Medium: Acrylic on canvas

Framing: Gallery-standard wood frame, ready to hang

Condition: Excellent; original surface intact with minor wear at edge consistent with age.

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💼 Offered at: $11,000 USD

Available exclusively through Bollëku.

Museum-grade. Emotionally uncompromising. Historically fixed.