Odd Nerdrum

Weinstein Gallery, San Francisco
Private collection, USA (acquired from the above; sale: Clars Auction Gallery, Oakland, 16 November 2014, lot 6304)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

The canvas has not been lined. Ultra-violet light reveals strokes of retouching in the extreme lower framing edge, and some areas in the upper left and lower left corners. Some areas of green fluorescence are also visible closer the left framing edge and in the lower left corner. However, this might be associated to the artist's technique rather than to retouching. Overall, this work is in good condition and ready to hang. Presented in a dark brown wooden frame.
"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."

Set against a mountain landscape inspired by the artist's travels to Iceland, are two twins gazing into a reflecting pool while an armoured figure guards them from the top of a hill. Babies are a recurring theme in Nerdrum’s art, often standing as an archetypal symbol of human beings’ duality (see also lot 71). One can also sense a more personal connection to the artist’s life. After his father’s death, Nerdrum discovered he was the illegitimate son of Norwegian architect David Sandved. The sense of displacement deriving from this discovery would accompany him for the rest of his life, deeply impacting his art.

Notwithstanding the strong bond that connects twins from birth, similar to all other creatures populating Nerdrum’s art they do not seem to be communicating in any way. Nerdrum’s paintings are always imbued with stillness, silence. He is, it seems, ‘determined to remind us, again and again, that consciousness is isolate, each mind imprisoned within a particular body, a particular set of circumstances’ (Richard Vine, Odd Nerdrum, Paintings, Sketches and Drawings, Oslo, 2004 p. 116).