Roderic O'Conor

RODERIC O'CONOR (1860-1940)
Valley of Cassis, c. 1912-14
Oil on canvas
Collection of Brian P. Burns

Valley of Cassis

Probably painted sometime during O'Conor's stay at Cassis, this landscape blends some of the techniques for landscape painting with which he experiemented while in Brittany, and a more traditional, topographical approach. While techniques of color, light, and painting are still important, O'Conor depicts the terrain in a somewhat naturalisitc fashion. The shadowy violets and mauves of the mountains are interspersed with silvery greens, suggestive of the wild lavender, thyme, and sage of the French Riviera. Short brushstrokes, and a light application of the paint, convey a sense of rippled movement and twilight. The coolness of the shadowy valley is emphasized by the open brightness of a rising sun, whose light and warmth is mirrored on the water of the river. In his Brittany landscapes, with their emphasis on an expressionistic use of bright, heavy color, O'Conor captures the rugged, sometimes violent nature of the Breton coast. In Valley of Cassis, with its softer blending of color and lighter painting technique, O'Conor catches the essence of the more gentle Mediterranean climate of the Côte d'Azur.