Seated Woman in a Red Dress 1925

Roderic O'Conor made this painting of a seated woman, probably in the early 20th century, with oils. The brushwork here is what really grabs me; it’s all about these deliberate, directional strokes. It feels like O’Conor is thinking through every single mark. The real action for me is in the red dress. Look closely. It’s not just one flat color, it's built up with layers of different reds and oranges. It’s like he’s trying to capture the light as it hits the fabric, making it almost vibrate with energy. You can practically feel the texture of the paint, thick in some places, thin in others. The way he defines the contours of her body with these blocks of color is so interesting, so immediate. It reminds me a bit of Matisse, actually – that same commitment to color and simplification. But O’Conor’s got a rawness, a kind of searching quality, that feels unique. These paintings are never really "finished," just moments caught in time.