The Measure of All Things features three works of art that delve into the subject of historical memory and remembrance. The paintings also mark a journey in O’Donoghue’s personal exploration of his father’s story and his experiences of the war.

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During a trip to Saint-Valéry-en-Caux, France, O’Donoghue discovered a photo album recording a young woman’s holiday in France in 1904. The paintings were inspired by a photograph of a young man lying on the ground in France with his arms outstretched; O’Donoghue sensed that the image was a prophecy of the devastation that the war would bring.

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The exhibition forms part of the abbey’s efforts to mark the centenary of the start of the First World War.