Woman in White 1910

Editor: Here we have Roderic O’Conor's "Woman in White," painted around 1910 using oil paint. There’s a vulnerability in her eyes, a subtle unease maybe, even amidst all that…whiteness. What grabs you about this piece? Curator: You know, it's interesting how the "white" isn’t just white, isn’t it? O'Conor teases out such a rainbow of colors - little strokes of pink and blue that whisper underneath. Makes you wonder what she’s thinking about. There's an incredible tension between the solidity of form and the looseness of brushstroke. Do you feel it? Editor: I do now that you point it out. I guess I was stuck on her face. What do you make of her hat? It's so striking compared to the rest of the piece. Curator: Exactly! Like a dark crown, eh? In O’Conor’s time, the Impressionists were just exploding, freeing color from, you know, mere representation. O'Conor plays with this, holding on to that strong form while letting the color run wild within it. What I adore is that hesitance - that beautiful back-and-forth between tradition and rebellion. He really makes us *feel* it, doesn't he? Makes you want to leap right in and… mess it up gloriously yourself. Editor: It makes you wonder, was he trying to show what's internal by making it more subdued while making what's external appear brighter? Curator: Could be! The question is really *how* do these tensions spark in you. And how do they help us *feel*? Editor: I see her quietness now less as unease, and more as reflective contemplation, given those colour pops. Thanks for helping me see this piece anew. Curator: My pleasure! And thanks for bringing *me* back to the question of the glorious mess! Always needed.