A French painter shows his auction appeal with Venetian art
Author: Richard Brewster | Posted: 16th May, 2019
A painting depicting The Grand Canal and Doge’s Palace, Venice by noted French landscape artist Antoine Bouvard (1870-1956) is one of the appealing highlights at Kim’s Auctions forthcoming sale from 11am Sunday May 26 on site in the recently sold modern mansion at 11 Knutsford Street, Balwyn.
Bouvard, who often painted under the pseudonym Marc Aldine, was best known for his portrayal of Venetian canal scenes – painted in warm tones and hazy light that often accompanies the setting sun.
Born in St Jean-de-Bournay in L’Isere, he studied at the Academy of Beaux-Arts in Paris, befriending the French architect Consant-Dufeux who helped shape his career.
In tandem with his painting career, Bouvard eventually became the director of architectural services for the Seine and is credited with the construction of Paris’s Bourse du Travail.
Another interesting painting in the sale is British artist James Holland’s (1799-1870) scene of boats in a landscape – probably not far from the sea shore.
A painter of flowers, landscapes, architecture and marine subjects, Holland was born in Burslem, Staffordshire and first exhibited in 1824 at the Royal Academy.
Later an exhibitor and member at the Society of Painters in Watercolours and the Society of British Artists, he completed a large number of drawings for the illustrated annuals of the day – visiting Venice, Milan, Geneva , Paris and Portugal for the purpose.
During his life Holland exhibited 32 pictures at the Royal Academy, 91 at the British Institution and 108 at the Society of British Artists and, though largely neglected in his lifetime, were keenly sought after he died.
Other art worthy of mention includes a Schoolgirl series Charles Blackman work, Rover Thomas’s Wongurr Snake near Warnum 1995 and a Sali Herman painting presented to one of Australia’s governors-general and similar to a work that appears on the cover of one of his three books.
For art historians, the auction contains two ancient Roman marble torsos dating from the 3rd century BC.
Both are made from Giallo Antico (ancient yellow marble quarried from the historic region of Numidia near the Roman city of Simitthus – now Chemtou in Tunisia).
The auction contains an 18th century Burmese marble Shan Buddha, a 19th century Tibetan bronze deity and Chinese Tang Dynasty (618-906 A.D.) war horse.
Among the other notable sculptures is an ivory and bronze work featuring a female rider, horse and male attendant by Otto Poepzel and a bronze by French sculptor Henry Dumaige (1830-1888).
Unusual is the 1960s pinball machine in working order and for boating enthusiasts a desirable speedboat.
