DUVIEUX, HENRI (1855-1902)

**PRICE ON APPLICATION**
 
"Dusk At St. Mark's Square, Venice" (1878)
oil on canvas
38.5 x 56cm
signed lower left
*exhibited in Paris, 1878 (given Honorable Mention)
*T. Bromley & Sons, Bolton
*private collection, Sydney
 
Duvieux was a prominent French Orientalist. He studied under a Mr Marilhat and exhibited at the Paris Salon at the age of 24 in 1880, which is often a sign of great talent. This piece predates his first Salon exhibits by two years, and was given Honorable Mention when exhibited in Paris in 1878. Duvieux excelled in his representations of Venice and Constantinople. He developed a drawing technique that experts recognize among all, based on a structured construction, and which is close to architectural drawing. Many French and European painters are known to have imitated, with varying degrees of skill, the great artist Felix Ziem who was the specialist of Venice and Constantinople from 1860 to 1910. But Duvieux is not a simple imitator. His style is very particular, his compositions are his own. Contrary to many followers, Duvieux's touch is quick, precise and lively. If Ziem is the Canaletto of impressionism, Duvieux is the Guardi of the Second Empire. Works by Duvieux are present in several museums throughout Europe, particularly in Avignon, Château-Thierry & Reims, and his works are greatly sought-after by collectors. For instance, the sister-piece of this painting was auctioned at Bonhams in New York in 2016 for a large sum. It's interesting to note that Duvieux was working in a very Impressionistic style, at a time when French Impressionism was in it's infancy.