RODERIC O'CONOR | Geraniums

Godolphin Gallery, Dublin;
Oriel Gallery, Dublin;
Phillips, London, 14 November 1989, lot 51

Godolphin Gallery, Dublin, Roderic O'Conor, A Selection of his Best Works in Ireland,  1978, no.19, illustrated;
New Haven, Yale Center for British Art, America’s Eye: Irish Paintings from the Collection of Brian P. Burns, 25 September 1997 - 4 January 1998; 
Washington, John F. Kennedy Center, Irish Paintings from the Collection of Brian P. Burns, 13 - 28 May 2000, illustrated p.69

J. Benington, Roderic O'Conor, A Biography with a Catalogue of his Work, Dublin, 1992, p.221, no.259

The panel appears sound and has been cradled, providing a secure support. Some very minor craquelure in the upper left corner which appears stable and only visible upon close inspection. The painting appears in good and stable condition. Under ultraviolet light the surface is difficult to read conclusively. There are possible areas of retouching in the background and along the left and right edges. Held in a gilt plaster frame with a canvas inset, ready to hang.
"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."

In the 1920s O'Conor painted many flower-pieces in a style that might be termed expressive realism. He applied his colours thickly, often with the palette knife, whilst relying on natural light to throw his props into relief and create dramatic tonal contrasts. Such paintings found eager buyers within his circle: Roger Fry, Matthew Smith and Somerset Maugham all secured examples, whilst the French State purchased his Le pot chinois in 1927 for the Musée du Jeu de Paume (now Musée d'Orsay). The technique of cropping the bottom of a vase holding flowers was employed by Cézanne in some of his still lifes (see for example the latter's Vase of Flowers in the Norton Simon Museum). O'Conor adopts it here in order to lend greater emphasis to the pink and red blooms arranged in a jug. Indeed the flower stems are confronted virtually at eye level and against a dark, indeterminate background that seems to push them upwards and outwards, as witness the uppermost blossom that is cropped by the picture edge. The jug is a piece of Quimper faïence decorated with a simple garland of leaves, indicating that O'Conor continued to use Breton objects in his still lifes two decades after leaving the province.

The inscription on the reverse of the wooden support is identical to that found on an O'Conor flowerpiece in the collection of the Ulster Museum. The artist evidently offered these two works for sale, having decided to donate any proceeds to an establishment set up to care for the orphaned children of artists. The dedication shows that the elderly O'Conor retained a sympathy for those who faced hardship and loss in their lives.

Jonathan Benington