Morgan O'Driscoll Irish & International Art Auction 21st October 2019

106 75 William Crozier HRHA (1930-2011) Untitled (1962) signed lower right and dated 1962 mixed media on paper 58.5 x 46cm (23 x 18in) Provenance: Private Collection €1,500-2,500 (£1,327-2,212) In 1962, the year of this painting, William Crozier abandoned the abstract landscapes that had brought him critical success and financial security in the London art world to concentrate on painting the human figure. With titles like ‘Resting man’ or ‘Dreaming man’ these striking works depict the sightless features of a reclining figure who props himself up, resting on his arm as if weary with the world and life while a dark shadow looms behind. Its human physiognomy is not specific to any individual for this is Everyman, the artist’s depiction of the human condition. Like his near contemporary, Francis Bacon, William Crozier was profoundly affected by French existentialist philosophy with its concept of man’s alienation from the world he lives in. This view of the psychological and spiritual malaise of man in modern society is the subject of this work.

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