Walter Biddlecombe (1855-1903)

‘’Vieil homme à la chechia’’ oil on canvas signed Walter Biddlecombe lower right and dedicated ‘’A mon ami Monsieur J.’’. For the collector of fine orientalist art, here is a quality painting measuring on the stretchers 13 x 9 ½ inches.

Walter Biddlecombe was a painter of landscapes, figures and animals who was from Southampton originally but who had moved to Marseilles in France by 1895, as many painters influenced by the strong sunlight he found there. He developed the unique and highly recognizable style that became fully realized during his stay, Walter Biddlecombe did several Provencal’s landscape around Aix en Provence.

He exhibited comparatively few paintings at the London or other principle exhibition venues but this was probably for geographic reasons. His work is of high quality and acute observation and it is likely that he had a successful career through reputation and word of mouth. This would have brought private commission work of which this painting is almost certainly an example.

He showed two pictures at the Royal Society of Artists in Suffolk Street, one each at the Royal Academy and the Royal Hibernian Academy and two at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. Exhibited titles include: "The Gleaner", "At Eventide; an ancient lichgate at Pulborough, Sussex", "And Dora took the child and went her way..." (from a poem by Tennyson)

Bibliography:

The Dictionary of British Artists - J Johnson and A Greutzner
The Dictionary of Victorian Painters - Christopher Wood