Title

The hot sands, Mustapha, Algiers

1891

Artist

Charles Conder

England, Australia

24 Oct 1868 – 09 Feb 1909

Artist profile

Alternate image of The hot sands, Mustapha, Algiers by Charles Conder

Details

Other Titles

The hot sands, Mustapha
Flowers in a vase against a background of the coastline of Mustapha, Algiers

Date

1891

Media category

Painting

Materials used

oil on canvas

Dimensions

46.0 x 55.3 cm stretcher; 67.6 x 77.6 x 8.5 cm frame

Signature & date

Signed and dated l.l., orange oil "Charles Conder/ .../ DEC. 1891-".
Signed and dated l.l. corner, blue (ink?) "Charles Conder/ .../ 91".

Credit

Purchased with assistance from Katies 1982

Location

South Building, ground level, Grand Courts

Accession number

1.1982

Copyright

Reproduction requests

Artist information

Charles Conder
Artist profile

Works in the collection

36

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About

While claimed as Australian, Charles Conder lived and worked here for a relatively brief but foundational six-year period in his artistic career. In 1890 he left Australia for Europe, moving between France and England for the remainder of his life. On his way to Paris, Conder convalesced from a serious illness on a friend’s estate in Algeria.

In an atmosphere that nostalgically revived his feel for the Australian summer, Conder painted this deeply evocative portrait of his inner world. Here Conder alludes to the transience of life. He conjures a world of fading things and the melancholic mood of departure. The work is also infused with sensuality. The fragrance of flowers, the heat of the sun and the call of the ocean are all invoked and presented in a sumptuous rose-tinted white palette with invading violet shadow.
Exhibition history
Shown in 7 exhibitions
- Loan exhibition of works by Charles Conder (1868-1909) (1927), National Gallery, London, London, 01 Jul 1917–25 Sep 1927
- Charles Conder 1868-1890 (1967), Graves Art Gallery, Sheffield, 01 Sep 1967–01 Oct 1967
- Orientalism - Delacroix to Klee, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 06 Dec 1997–22 Feb 1998
  
  Orientalism - Delacroix to Klee, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, Auckland, 20 Mar 1998–07 Jun 1998
- Favourites: Margaret Olley and Barry Humphries choose from Australian collections (2000), S.H. Ervin Gallery, The Rocks, 15 Jan 2000–27 Feb 2000
- Charles Conder retrospective (2003-2004), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 14 Jun 2003–17 Aug 2003
  
  Charles Conder retrospective (2003-2004), Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Melbourne, 05 Sep 2003–09 Nov 2003
  
  Charles Conder retrospective (2003-2004), Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 21 Nov 2003–26 Jan 2004
- Australian Symbolism, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 04 May 2012–22 Jul 2012
- Grand Courts collection rehang, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Nov 2021–2023
Bibliography
Referenced in 23 publications
- Penelope Curtin and Tansy Curtin, Blooms and brushstrokes: a floral history of Australian art, 'Flowers A-Z: Hydrangea', pg. 106-109, Mile End, 106-107 (colour illus.), 108, 194.
- Renée Free, Art Gallery of New South Wales catalogue of British paintings, Sydney, 1987, 33 (illus.).
- Ann Galbally, Charles Conder: the last bohemian, 'Algeria 1891-1892', pg. 89-95, Melbourne, 2002, 92, following 174 (colour illus.).
- Ann Galbally, Charles Conder 1868-1909, 'Charles Conder: a fin-de-siècle enigma', pg. 43-54, Sydney, 2003, 45, 56 (colour illus., detail), 57, 114 (colour illus.), 115, 194. cat.no. 42
- Ann Galbally, Craft arts international, 'Charles Conder 1868-1909', pg. 81-83, Sydney, 2003, 82 (colour illus.).
- Frank Gibson and Campbell Dodgson, Charles Conder: his life and work, London, 1914, 34-35, 94.
- Sasha Grishin., The Canberra times, 'Spirit of brilliance', Ainslie, 22 Jun 2003, (illus.). Exhibition review.
- Janet Hawley, The Sydney Morning Herald, 'A dandy in Bohemia', pg. 25-26, Sydney, 31 May 2003, 26 (colour illus.). Article appeared in Good Weekend.
- Dr Ursula Hoff, Charles Conder, Melbourne, 1972, 57.
- Anne Kirker and Peter Tomory, British painting 1800–1990 in Australian and New Zealand public collections, Sydney, 1997, 66. cat.no. 405
- John McDonald, Art of Australia. Vol 1: Exploration to Federation, 'Individual and national feeling', pg. 545-610, Sydney, 2008, 549, 553 (colour illus.), 554.
- Denise Mimmocchi, Australian Symbolism: the art of dreams, ‘Dreams of the bohemian idyll: Charles Conder and his impact’, pg. 90-110, Sydney, 2012, 100, 103 (colour illus.).
- National Gallery, London, Loan exhibition of works by Charles Conder (1868-1909), Millbank, 1927, 17. cat.no. 102; titled 'The hot sands, Mustapha, Algiers', Dec., 1891, oil, 17½ by 21 in., Lent by Mr. P. Horley Horder
- Margaret Olley and Barry Humphries, Favourites: Margaret Olley and Barry Humphries choose from public and private collections, Sydney, 2000. Catalogue entry appears in inserted list to printed catalogue
- Barry Pearce, Art and Australia, 'Recent Australian acquisitions with notes on Charles Conder's Algerian convalescence', pg. 57-62, Sydney, Spring 1984, 57-62, 61 (colour illus.).
- Ursula Prunster, Orientalism – Delacroix to Klee, 'From Empire's End: Australians as Orientalists, 1880-1920', pg. 41-53, Sydney, 1997-1998, 46 (colour illus.), 155 (colour illus.). fig.no. 22, cat.no. 93
- Public Programmes Department, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 'K' is for Conder: Charles Conder retrospective, Sydney, 2003, (illus.). not paginated
- David Rodgers, Charles Conder 1868-1909, Sheffield, 1967, 6. cat.no. 16; titled 'Flowers in a Vase against a Background of the Coastline of Mustapha, Algiers', oil , 18¼ x 21¾, Let by Sir Martyn Beckett, Bt.
- Sir John Rothenstein, The life and death of Conder, London, 1938, 75, 78, 272.
- Jill Sykes, Look, 'How good was Conder? Academic detective finds gold on canvas and silk', pg. 38, Sydney, Jun 2003, 38 (colour illus.). titled 'The hot sands, Mustapha, Algiers'
- Martin Terry, Art Monthly Australia, 'Moulin Rouge: Charles Conder at the Art Gallery of New South Wales', pg. 31-34, Canberra, Nov 2003, 34 (illus.).
- Vivienne Webb, Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, 'Golden age', pg. 37-38, Sydney, 2000, 38, 55 (colour illus.), 300.
- Manchester Guardian, Manchester, 06 Jul 1927, 12. Review by J.B. of the 1927 Tate exhibition in which the work 'The hot sands, Mustapha, Algiers 1891' was shown.