RODERIC O'CONOR | Reclining Nude

Studio of the artist, sold Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 7 February 1956;
Crane Kalman Gallery, London, c. 1963;
Private collection and thence by descent

The canvas has been lined (according to records the original canvas was stamped 'atelier O'CONOR' but is no longer visible). The painting was stolen from York City Art Gallery in 1999 and cut out of its frame in the process. Upon recovery of the painting in 2000, the painting was sensitively restored. The canvas was lined and reattached to its original stretcher and the canvas remains. Ultraviolet light reveals retouchings along the edges as a result, and also some ares of infilling to the nude and some retouching in the background. These have been well executed and the work appears in good overall condition. Held in a gilt plaster frame. For a more detailed report on the restoration carried out in 2000 please contact the department: charlie.minter@sothebys.com +44 (0)20 7293 5925
"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."

This study of a female nude with her head leaning against her left hand and a headband encircling her hair is typical of the figure subjects O'Conor composed in his capacious Montparnasse studio in the years leading up to the First World War. He explored a similar pose in an ink drawing (Thierry-Lannon, Brest, 14 October 2009, lot 396), but in the oil the model's legs were bent at the knee rather than held straight. The artist covered his studio divan with brightly coloured drapes and placed it beneath the tall windows lining one side of the first floor premises at 102 rue du Cherche-midi. The light from the windows glances down and across the model's head, torso and limbs, restricting the shadows to little more than contours around her arms and thigh. The net result of this arrangement is that the figure gleams with light, an effect O'Conor reinforces by a masterly use of space, with the far wall and bookcase at a sufficiently remote distance for them to be kept out of the light. By way of contrast, the front of the divan is picked out in warm pink and yellow, whilst the blue drape is relieved by bright red dots, all rendered in fluidly applied paint.  The way O'Conor reconciles the gloomy recesses of the room with the radiant foreground recalls Walter Sickert's approach to painting the nude. The latter's name was mentioned in a letter O'Conor wrote to Clive Bell on 30 December 1909 (National Gallery of Ireland Archive, Dublin), and it is possible the Irish artist read Sickert's article 'The Naked and the Nude' (The New Age, 21 July 1910) in which he attributed 'the chief source of pleasure in the aspect of a nude' to the 'nature of a gleam - a gleam of light and warmth and life.' To enhance this radiance the figure should 'be seen in surroundings of drapery or other contrasting surfaces.'

Jonathan Benington