Charles Conder
(England, Australia 24 Oct 1868–09 Feb 1909)
- Title
- The awakening
- Other titles:
- The awakening: Study for a fan
- Year
- circa 1895
- Media category
- Watercolour
- Materials used
- pencil, watercolour, gold paint, white highlights on silk fan
- Dimensions
-
14.2 x 42.2cm silk (irreg.)
- Signature & date
- Signed l.l., gold paint "CONDER.". Not dated.
- Credit
- Purchased 1974
- Accession number
- 131.1974
- Location
- Not on display
- Further information
Charles Conder returned to England, the country of his birth, in 1890, having established himself as one of the founders of the Heidelberg School of Australian impressionist painting. In England and in France, he was regarded as a member of the fin de siecle bohemian set, including among his intimates Oscar Wilde, Aubrey Beardsley and Henri Toulouse-Lautrec.
In his late work Conder favoured a romantic aestheticism, earning most fame for his decorative watercolours on silk. As with a number of other late 19th-century artists in France, Conder created a number of fan designs on silk between 1893 and 1905, inspired by contemporary literature and referencing 18th century imagery, utilising a deliberately pale palette to suggest age. Some fans were mounted but others, like this one, were not.
© Australian Art Department, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2004
- Bibliography (12)
-
John McDonald (Australia, b.1961) (Author), Art of Australia. Vol. 1: Exploration to Federation, Sydney, 2008, 553-554. NOTE: General reference to Conder's fans.
'Fine art and the fan 1860-1930' by Pamela Gerrish Nunn, pg. 251-266., Journal of design history (vol. 17, no. 3) 2004, 2004, 259 (illus.). figure no. 6
'Charles Conder: a retrospective 1868-1909' by Bonny Cassidy., Tertangala Aug 2003, Aug 2003. Exhibition review.
'K' is for Conder: Charles Conder retrospective 2003, 2003, (illus.). not paginated
Ann Galbally (Australia) (Author), Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Barry Humphries (Australia, b.1934) (Author), Charles Conder 1868-1909, Domain, 2003, 167 (colour illus.), 195. cat.no. 85
'Charles Conder 1868-1909' by Ann Galbally, pg. 81-83., Craft arts international 2003, 2003, 81 (colour illus.).
Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Domain, 2000, 54 (colour illus.), 300.
Hendrik Kolenberg (Netherlands; Australia) (Author), Australian watercolours 1880s to 1990s, Sydney, 1995, 26 (colour illus.), 115. cat.no. 11
Renée Free (Australia) (Author), Fin de Siècle, Sydney, Jan 1994.
Hendrik Kolenberg (Netherlands; Australia) (Author), Nineteenth century Australian watercolours from the collection, Sydney, 1991. not paginated, cat.no. 17
Jean Campbell (Australia) (Author), Australian watercolour painters: 1780 to the present day, Roseville, 1989, 67 (colour illus.).
Author Unknown (Author), Paintings and drawings from Agnew's London, Sydney, Oct 1974. cat.no. 38
- Exhibition history (11)
-
Oil paintings and paintings on silk by Charles Conder (1900), Carfax & Co, 08 Dec 1900 -.
Paintings and drawings from Agnew's London, David Jones' Art Gallery, Sydney, 01 Oct 1974–19 Oct 1974.
Paintings and drawings from Agnew's London, The Age Gallery, 29 Oct 1974–09 Nov 1974.
Nineteenth century Australian watercolours from the collection (1991), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 13 Apr 1991–07 Jul 1991.
Fin de Siècle: posters prints drawings from the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 15 Jan 1994–13 Mar 1994.
Australian watercolours 1880s to 1990s, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 18 Nov 1995–14 Jan 1996.
Australian watercolours 1880s to 1990s, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, 1996–1996.
Australian watercolours 1880s to 1990s, City of Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, 1996–1996.
Charles Conder retrospective (2003-2004), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 14 Jun 2003–17 Aug 2003.
Charles Conder retrospective (2003-2004), Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, 05 Sep 2003–09 Nov 2003.
Charles Conder retrospective (2003-2004), Art Gallery of South Australia, 21 Nov 2003–26 Jan 2004.
