William Nelson Copley

William Nelson Copley Paradis 1959 Oil on canvas 72 x 100 cm. Framed. Signed and dated 'cply 59'. Signed, dated and titled 'PARADIS cply 59' on the reverse of the canvas. - With studio and light signs of age. The present work is registered in the Estate of William N. Copley, New York. Provenance Collection Richard Hamilton, London (1972); private property, Northern Germany William Copley's joyful style is characterized by a seemingly childlike naiveté, his figures often painted with a disarming immediacy. Copley's themes are not always evident at first glance, for he often embeds his criticism of U.S. politics or affluent society in ironic and humorous scenarios. In the present work, for example, over 150 unclothed female and male figures cavort in a variety of leisure activities. The sports depicted against a green, marbled background range from archery, gymnastics, and weightlifting to volleyball and table tennis. In the lower half of the image, a blonde is lolling on a striped towel. Aptly titled "Paradis," many little Adams and Evas meet here in complete exuberance, and conspicuous are the many red apples that appear again and again, whether as a volleyball or as a weight with a barbell. The viewer may be reminded of Hieronymus Bosch's "Garden of Delights" and speculate whether the scene depicted is meant to satirize the postwar cult of the body, and whether the figures are aware of the Fall of Man despite the omnipresent apple (temptation).