Albert Durer Lucas 1828–1919
LUCAS PAINTED mainly small, detailed studies of flowers and foliage, sometimes with butterflies and other insects. He lived much of his life at 50, Padwell Rd although the original house is no longer there. He must have taken much of his inspiration from Southampton Common which was on his ‘doorstep’. The background of some of his delicate flower paintings are treescapes and are typical of scenes on the Common. He was a member of Southampton Art Society and exhibited in London between 1859 and 1878. Although he didn’t achieve a great deal of recognition during his lifetime, he is now increasingly collectable and his work is going up in value.
Albert’s work was overshadowed by that of his father, the eccentric sculptor, Richard Cockle Lucas (1880–1886). Their family home was a huge house in Chilworth known as Tower of the Winds. Though he believed in fairies and liked to dress in Roman costume and ride through the town in a chariot, Lucas senior was a remarkable and successful sculptor with works in the V&A and the British Museum. In Southampton his statue of the great hymn writer, Isaac Watts, can be seen in the park opposite the art gallery.
He is most famous for the Flora controversy. In 1904 the Chilworth house and its contents were auctioned. A bust known as Flora was bought by a picture dealer for a few shillings. It continued to change hands and, apparently provenance, until it was purchased by a Bond Street dealer, Murray Marks. He then sold it to the Kaiser Friedrich Museum in Berlin for £9,250. The curators of the museum believed that they had bought a work by Leonardo Da Vinci. Letters to the Times bemoaned the sale of such a great work of art as a sad loss to Britain. Then a letter appeared from Charles Cooksey, Southampton art dealer, claiming that the bust was not by Da Vinci but by a local sculptor. Eventually X-rays exposed that the bust had been stuffed with part of a 19th century quilt and Albert admitted to helping his father make Flora in 1846.
There are eleven oil paintings by Albert Lucas in Southampton Art Gallery and other paintings including Cedar at Bevois Mount Where Pope Sat and 1st May 1894 On The Common are housed in the Museum Collection Store. Unfortunately these paintings are rarely, if ever, on view to the public.
Albert Durer Lucas is buried in Southampton Old Cemetery.
Albert’s work was overshadowed by that of his father, the eccentric sculptor, Richard Cockle Lucas (1880–1886). Their family home was a huge house in Chilworth known as Tower of the Winds. Though he believed in fairies and liked to dress in Roman costume and ride through the town in a chariot, Lucas senior was a remarkable and successful sculptor with works in the V&A and the British Museum. In Southampton his statue of the great hymn writer, Isaac Watts, can be seen in the park opposite the art gallery.
He is most famous for the Flora controversy. In 1904 the Chilworth house and its contents were auctioned. A bust known as Flora was bought by a picture dealer for a few shillings. It continued to change hands and, apparently provenance, until it was purchased by a Bond Street dealer, Murray Marks. He then sold it to the Kaiser Friedrich Museum in Berlin for £9,250. The curators of the museum believed that they had bought a work by Leonardo Da Vinci. Letters to the Times bemoaned the sale of such a great work of art as a sad loss to Britain. Then a letter appeared from Charles Cooksey, Southampton art dealer, claiming that the bust was not by Da Vinci but by a local sculptor. Eventually X-rays exposed that the bust had been stuffed with part of a 19th century quilt and Albert admitted to helping his father make Flora in 1846.
There are eleven oil paintings by Albert Lucas in Southampton Art Gallery and other paintings including Cedar at Bevois Mount Where Pope Sat and 1st May 1894 On The Common are housed in the Museum Collection Store. Unfortunately these paintings are rarely, if ever, on view to the public.
Albert Durer Lucas is buried in Southampton Old Cemetery.