Lot 62

The work is in good stable condition. The work has been relined. Surface dirt is visible throughout. When looked at under UV light no apparent areas fluoresce to indicate repair work, although the varnish does reveal itself to be dirty and it is recommended that the work be cleaned and revarnished by a conservator.
Overall framed size 105 x 85cm.
(LEONARD JOEL DELIVERY SIZE: LARGE)


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Private collection, Melbourne
Thence by descent

After establishing himself as a key founding member of the Heidelberg School of Australian Impressionism, Conder returned to France familiarising himself with the Bohemian café scene in Montmartre and Montparnasse. Befriending artists such as Toulouse -Lautrec and Edouard Dujardin, he embraced their new-aged approach to their practice. Moving through a period of adjustment, Conder attuned his palette to the more subtle colour base of the European light and greener scenery, moving away from the harsher qualities of the Australian landscape.

Ladies Playing Croquet was most likely painted during one of Conder's brief stays in England, which became more frequent in 1894. Set in a luscious manicured garden of well-dressed women, this work exemplifies the stylised romanticism in line with the aesthetic period. Framing the work is an elongated arching tree, revealing specks of light from the background indicative of Conder's Japanese influences. This is also evident in the figures' dresses, similar to that of the paintings on silk he championed during this period.

This work exemplifies Conder's ability to combine a multitude of disciplines and influences seamlessly - from the colours of the Romantics, to the stylised setting of the aesthetic movement, and Japonisme (inspired by Whistler). By the turn of the century, Conder's work reached a new refined subtlety and beauty which he had endeavoured to achieve throughout his career.

Lucy Foster
Art Specialist