Roderic O'Conor

Lovers in a Moonlit Garden
Geraniums
Reclining Nude (#1172)
Reclining Nude (#1299)
Valley of Cassis

RODERIC O'CONOR
Lovers in a Moonlit Garden ("Romeo and Juliet"), c. 1898-1900
oil on canvas
Collection of Brian P. Burns

Lovers in a Moonlit Garden ("Romeo and Juliet")

Having studied and painted in Dublin, Antwerp, Paris, Grez-sur Loing, and Brittany, Roderick O'Conor epitomizes the internationalism of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Irish artists. He declined an invitation to accompany his friend Paul Gauguin to the South Seas, in 1895. O'Conor chose instead to work in Rochefort-en-Terre, an inland village in Brittany, where he painted a small number of expressionistic canvases from his imagination, among them Lovers in a Moonlit Garden. Living alone in Brittany, O'Conor reflected on the work of contemporary painters, especially Edvard Munch, whose The Kiss, a composition of a faceless, entwined couple, was displayed in France in 1897 and widely published in prints.

Lovers in a Moonlit Garden is mysterious and erotic. In the dimly lit landscape, sensual reds, pinks, oranges, and yellows emphasizes the passion of the couple's embrace. O'Conor neither exhibited nor sold this uncharacteristic painting, an omission which suggests, perhaps, its personal meaning for him. The English art dealer Henry Roland bought the painting at the auction of O'Conor's estate; he affectionately referred to the acquisition as his Romeo and Juliet, hence the literary subtitle.

Video tour from the exhibit opening at the Yale Center for British Arts, September 1997 The situation of Irish artists in the late 19th century and some insight into the artis, Roderic O'Conor watch the video [1 minute and 16 seconds] Each video clip above requires the RealPlayer, available at http://www.real.com. To view the video, just click on the links above. Downloading and installation instructions are also available.