Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are delighted to offer for sale this delicate and accomplished oil on canvas by the artist Albert Durer Lucas, who has signed the painting on a label on the stretcher. The painting depicts a still life from nature of a cowslip plant (Primula Veris), with some pale blue lesser periwinkle flowers (Vinca Minor), as well as some grass stems.

Albert Durer Lucas, 1829-1919 was born in Bayswater in either 1828 or 29 (we couldn't find a birth registration), the son of the renowned, but eccentric, sculptor Richard Cockle Lucas. Due to health reasons, the family moved to Hampshire in 1849, firstly to Winchester and then to Chilworth, near Romsey, where Richard Lucas built a house called Tower of the Winds. Richard Lucas apparently believed in fairies and enjoyed riding through Southampton dress in Roman costume and driving a chariot.

In 1869, Albert married Annie Maria nee Brown (1869-1929) and their son, Albert Richard Henry was born in 1871. Sadly, young Albert died in 1888, at the age of 17. After his marriage, Albert and Annie moved next door to Richard, who, by this time, had built another house called Chilworth Tower. After his father's death in 1883, they moved to 50 Padwell Road, Southampton, where they remained for the rest of Albert's life and where he died in 1919 at the age of 90.

Albert was mostly known and renowned for his exquisite flower pieces, where he depicted flowers, mostly wildflowers, in minute details, often with his small paintings containing butterflies, moths, dragonflies or insects. These works have gone on to rise in price, with even tiny paintings achieving prices in the thousands of pounds. For example, a pair of 5" x 4" oils achieved £4,080 inclusive at Bonhams in 2007 and a 12" x 10" oil reached £1,875 inc. at Christies in 2011. More recently, in 2018, a pair of 10" x 8" achieved £4,200 at Tennants and a similar sized single oil reach £1,900 at Roseberys in July of that year.

Albert exhibited from 1859-1909, at the British Institution, Suffolk Street and elsewhere in major galleries in the provinces. He was a Member of the Southampton Art Society. There are 21 of his paintings in the National Collection which may be viewed at ArtUK.org. There are also many examples of his flower paintings on google images.

An interesting anecdote to his story is that he created a sensation in 1910 by announcing that a wax bust of Flora, purportedly by Leonard da Vinci, recently purchased by the Berlin Museum for £9,250 had, in fact, been created in 1846 by his father, with Albert's assistance and that it was stuffed with items like a Victorian quilt. Apparently when the base was removed, inside were various items, including a letter dated 1840. As the attribution was disputed, it is apparently on display as 19th century, sculptor unknown.

The painting is framed in a very nice 2 1/8" patterned gilt frame, which, although probably not the original, has some age. It will be supplied wired and ready to hang.

Image size: 12 1/4" x 9 1/4" - 31.1cm x 23.5cm

Frame size: 16 1/2" x 13 1/2" - 41.9cm x 34.3cm

Medium: Oils on canvas

Condition: Very good. There is one small repair to the back of the canvas, as shown, and the surface is in clean condition with overall fine craquelure, but no paint loss. The frame is in very good condition.