Andrew O'Connor

Overall the condition of the bronze is excellent with some minor wear to the patina consistent with age. There is some minor greening and dryness in the crevices.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The American sculptor Andrew O'Connor oeuvre evolved over his long career to reflect the many influences of extensive travel and encounters with some of the greatest artists of the age.  He began his studies in his native America with apprenticeships to William Ordway Partridge and Daniel Chester French. In their workshops he learnt the patriotic visual vocabulary of America's heroes, before setting sail for Europe. One of his first European influences was the painter John Singer Sargent, whose works O'Connor saw during a stay in England between 1894 and 1897. O'Connor began to transcribe Singer Sargeant's interest in rhythm and light into the medium of sculpture. 

The present bronze also reveals the effects O'Connor's decade-long Parisian sojourn after the turn of the century, as he responded to the  work of Auguste Rodin. It is a motif reworked from a full-size figure of the same title, which O'Connor presented at the 1907 Salon. Rather than reducing his Salon exhibit in size, O'Connor, following in Rodin's footsteps, isolated its most evocative part. The face retains something of the monumentality of the figure as it evokes a solemn, mediative mood.