Daniel O'Neill

Acquired directly from the artist and thence by descent to the present owner

The board is sound. There are some minor abrasions to the top right corner and some minor surface dirt otherwise in excellent original condition with strong passages of impasto throughout. Under ultraviolet light, there appear to be no signs of retouching. Held in a painted plaster and gilt frame with canvas inset.
"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 present work is a rare and highly important example by the artist based on the traditional art historical subject of the reclining nude. The particular compositional arrangement of the present work is a direct reference to the Renaissance and more specifically, to Giorgione's seminal Sleeping Venus (fig.1, circa 1510, Coll. Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden). It is unlikely that O'Neill ever experienced the latter work in the flesh however, it is highly probable that he visited the Musee d'Orsay when he was in Paris in the late 1940s where he could not have failed to see Manet's Olympia (fig.2), that artist's modern version on the theme that sparked much controversy when it was first shown at the Paris Salon in 1865.

It was Victor Waddington, O'Neill's dealer in the 1940s, who most probably sponsored O'Neill's first trip to Paris in 1949.  As well as access to Old Master examples, he was particularly inspired by the Expressionist works of Maurice Vlaminck whose influence is clear in the intense colour combinations of the present work where blue tones reverberate across the surface in contrast to the bold red and yellow tones in centre of the background. O'Neill's knowledge of avant-garde developments is also demonstrated by the cubist like forms behind the traditional pose of the central figure.

The present work bears close similarities to The Blue Skirt (1949, Coll. Ulster Museum, Belfast). Whilst the underlying inspiration for the arrangement of each figure is the archetypal Renaissance reclining nude, the genesis for the Grecian-like drapery covering the figures in both works lies in the artist's mother's reaction on seeing O'Neill's first version of The Blue Skirt depicting a reclining nude; she asked her son to dress the nude more appropriately.