César Costermans
1874
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
55.3 × 45.5 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Leon Costermans, 1987
Gallery location
Not on display
Artwork Details
Inscription
inscribed in red paint l.r.: 74 / E J Agneessens
Accession Number
E3-1987
Department
International Painting
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Digitisation Champion Ms Carol Grigor through Metal Manufactures Limited
Subjects (general)
Portraits
Subjects (specific)
beards bow ties busts (general, figures) men (male humans) moustaches
Provenance
Collection of César Costermans (1843–1924) and Mathilde Costermans (1850–1918), Brussels and Barabool, Hawthorn, Melbourne, 1874–1890s[i]; collection of Dr William Maloney (1854–1940), Melbourne, 1890s until 1940[ii]; sold at auction, Melbourne, 1940[iii]; from where purchased by Charles Costermans (1888–1958), Melbourne, 1940; his collection, Melbourne, until 1958; thence by descent, to Leon Costermans (b. 1933), 1958–87; by whom donated to the NGV, 1987.
[i] Painted for César and Mathilde Costermans by Edouard Agneessens, who was a friend of César, in 1874, by whom brought to Australia by from Brussels when the couple emigrated in the 1880s.
[ii] This portrait (with its pair) was given to Maloney, a family acquaintance, as security for cash advancement when the Costermans family ran into financial trouble during the 1890s depression. Letter to Sonia Dean from Leon Costermans, dated 27 June 1994, NGV Curatorial files.
[iii] Auction details unknown.
Frame
Original, by E. R. Deacon, Melbourne