KEY POINTS:
All Black forward Anton Oliver may be no oil painting, but ... well, he is, actually.
A nude portrait of the burly hooker by Dunedin artist Simon Richardson has been snapped up at the Jonathan Grant Galleries in Parnell.
The oil painting, titled Back Field, features Oliver, 31, standing naked facing a wall.
Jonathan Grant Galleries managing director Jonathan Gooderham said the painting sold for $16,750, but he declined to identify the buyer.
"It isn't a major collector, but an art buff. I'm sure the notoriety of the work has helped with the sale."
An exhibition of Richardson's work, An Otago Perspective, is being held at the gallery for three weeks from November 24.
The portrait of Oliver's burly 1.87m, 111kg frame was the most expensive of seven pieces in the exhibition.
"There has been a far greater response than we anticipated," Mr Gooderham said.
"We'd sold five of the pieces within two days of the catalogue being mailed out. Traditionally, portraits are quite difficult to sell in this country."
Richardson, 32, grew up in Gore and studied at the Otago School of Art.
The Broad Bay painter, who will be in Auckland next week for the exhibition opening, said he was surprised Oliver agreed to do the portrait. "He was looking at some of the nudes I've done and said, 'I wouldn't be opposed to doing that'," Mr Richardson said.
"It is a very brave thing for him to do, but Anton is very much his own man."
Oliver had five sittings with Mr Richardson before the painting was completed.
The artist paints in oils in the style of the Old Masters and is best known for his portrait of New Zealand poet Hone Tuwhare, which sold for $20,000 two years ago.
The traditional rugby fraternity reacted with horror to Oliver's candour, with All Black great Colin Meads, 70, saying he was shocked that an All Black would model in the nude.
"We're meant to be salt of the earth, down-to-earth, grassroots, bloody good guys," Meads said.
"You don't pose bloody nude, or get a painting of yourself in the nude."
Oliver had a typically cryptic explanation when asked why he had agreed to pose for the painting.
"The reason I did it is because I wasn't going to do it. I know that sounds strange, but I thought, 'this is odd, I get naked around 30 guys every day, but getting a chap to paint me was making me squeamish'," he said.
"So, I thought I'd get out of my comfort zone and give it a go. No doubt I'll be the butt of a few caricatures and jokes, but I'm not too concerned about that."
