The Painter Charles Conder
Artist: William Rothenstein (British, 1872-1945)
Date: 1892
Dimensions:
H: 47 3/8 in. (120.3 cm); W: 21 3/4 in. (55.2 cm)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 1952.86
Label Text:British-born painters William Rothenstein and Charles Conder (1868–1909) met while studying in Paris in 1890 and became lifelong friends. The two young artists moved in impressive circles—they were friends with many leading artists and writers of the day, including Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Oscar Wilde, and Auguste Rodin. Conder was attracted to a reckless lifestyle in the hedonistic cabarets of Montmartre. As a result, he was often nearly destitute. In order to fulfill the social necessity of evening clothes on a severely restricted budget, Conder shopped for used clothing from decades earlier in the Paris flea markets. The long greatcoat and top hat from the 1830s that Conder wears in this portrait were an eccentricity for which he became known.
In his memoirs, Rothenstein recalled that Conder wanted him to create a particular mood for the portrait and urged Rothenstein “to stylize his coat and give him a fatale and romantic appearance. [Conder] was a born stylist.”
In his memoirs, Rothenstein recalled that Conder wanted him to create a particular mood for the portrait and urged Rothenstein “to stylize his coat and give him a fatale and romantic appearance. [Conder] was a born stylist.”
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In Collection(s)