A surprisingly strong sense of the contemporary belongs to an 1835 work by James Arthur O’Connor at Morgan O’Driscoll’s Irish and International art sale on April 8.
There is something almost surreal in the calm atmosphere of this depiction of a park with a neo classical building in the background. It antecedes the much later work of European greats like Rene Magritte and Giorgio de Chirico.
With its diagonal splash of blue sky was one of the highlights of the James Arthur O’Connor exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland in 1985. The neo classical building shown now houses the US Embassy in Brussels and the painting – one of a number of highlights in this auction – is estimated at €20,000-€30,000.
The sale is headed by …