<em>This day a man is</em>, 1970
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This day a man is, 1970

Record number
cm001515
Title

This day a man is

Date
1970
Medium
synthetic polymer paint
Support
unstretched canvas
Dimensions
2080 x 2600 mm
Inscriptions

THOMAS / À KEMPIS / COLIN McCAHON / MURIWAI: FEB. '70 (brushpoint, b.r.)

Credit line
J W Power Collection, University of Sydney, managed by Museum of Contemporary Art, purchased 1985
Accession number
1985.4
Extended inscriptions

This day a man is and tomorrow he
appeareth not: full soon shall this be fulfilled in
thee; look whether thou canst do otherwise.
(and when a man is OUT OF SIGHT HE SOON PASSETH OUT OF MIND).
IF YOU HAVE SEEN ANY MAN DIE THINK THAT YOUR-
SELF SHALL GO THE SAME WAY WHEREFORE BE
EVER READY AND LIVE SO THAT DEATH
FIND YOU NEVER UNREADY.
Keep thyself as a pilgrim
and a guest upon the
earth to whom belongeth nothing
of worldly business.

Exhibition history

1970 Colin McCahon Recent Paintings: Victory Over Death or Practical Religion
Barry Lett Galleries
Auckland
2/3/1970 - 15/3/1970

1972 An Exhibition of Paintings by Colin McCahon
Peter McLeavey Gallery
Wellington
6/3/1972 - 24/3/1972

1990 Rosalie Gascoigne, Colin McCahon: Sense of Place
Ivan Dougherty Gallery
Sydney
10/6/1990 - 28/7/1990

1995 Diaspora in context: Connections in a fragmented world
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
New South Wales, Australia
2/9/1995 - 3/12/1995

2001 MCA Unpacked
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
New South Wales, Australia
14/3/2001 - 11/6/2001

2002 Colin McCahon: A Question of Faith
Stedelijk Museum
Amsterdam
30/8/2002 - 10/11/2002

2010 We call them pirates out here: MCA collection
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
New South Wales, Australia
17/2/2010 - 21/11/2010

Notes

The text is from book 1, chapter 23 of The Imitation of Christ (c. 1427), generally attributed to the German mystic Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380-1471).