

The present work belongs to a group of studies that O'Conor undertook around 1915-6 showing the model reclining against a bright crimson drape. These works focused more directly on the figure than his earlier nudes, who were presented very much as occupants of a room setting. Here the setting has no role to play. The red paint has been applied broadly and fluidly to create a large expanse of saturated colour that provides a foil to the creamy flesh tones of the nude. Whereas the back of the couch and the model's head are cloaked in shadow, her torso and limbs are illumined by a steady light that has been rendered with a virtuoso flurry of bold brushstrokes, combining ochre, salmon, red and green.
A related drawing for this nude explores a similar pose, modified to show the model's left leg raised higher and her left arm tucked behind her head (Thierry-Lannon, Brest, 14 October 2009, lot 353).
Jonathan Benington