1804 - 1895
Canadian
Le Capitaine Charles Campbell
oil on canvas
signed and dated 1832 and on verso titled on the museum label
36 1/8 x 30 in, 91.8 x 76.2 cm
Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000 CAD
Sold for: $17,500
Preview at:
PROVENANCE
Galerie Bernard Desroches, Montreal
Prominent Montreal Estate
LITERATURE
John Porter and Mario Béland, Antoine Plamondon (1804-1895) - Jalons d'un parcours artistique, 2005, reproduced pages 48-49
EXHIBITED
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, Québec, Antoine Plamondon (1804-1895) - Jalons d'un parcours artistique, November 24, 2005 - April 9, 2006, catalogue #49, traveling to The Art Gallery of Windsor; The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa; McCord Museum of Canadian History, Montreal; Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston; Art Gallery of Hamilton; The Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton, 2006 - 2008
Antoine Plamondon began his career as a teenager in Québec City, apprenticing under the painter Joseph Légaré in 1819. He would go on to study in Paris between 1826-1830, working under the court painter Jean-Baptiste Paulin Guérin (himself a pupil of the celebrated Jacques-Louis David) and studying works by the Old Masters at the Louvre. On his return to Québec City in 1830, Plamondon quickly established himself as one of the best portrait painters in Lower Canada, painting both secular and religious subjects in a refined Neoclassicism that betrayed his European training.
This painting is a very fine example of the portraits Plamondon produced for the growing Québec bourgeoisie that made up his patrons. The subject is one of the British military officers who lived in the area at the time. Here, the artist emphasizes the beauty of the uniform and the stately poise of the captain. The background of a green velvet curtain is partially parted, revealing a romanticized view of the Québec City, the St. Lawrence and the distant Laurentians - a decidedly continental motif that serves to elevate both the captain and the landscape of Lower Canada.
All prices are in Canadian Dollars
Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information posted, errors and omissions may occur. All bids are subject to our
Terms and Conditions of Business. Bidders must ensure they have satisfied themselves with the
condition of the Lot prior to bidding. Condition reports are available upon request.