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Lot Essay
Artist Mélanie de Comoléra (fl. 1808-1854) trained in Paris under the celebrated Dutch painter Gerard van Spaendonck (1746-1822), before independently establishing herself as a skillful still life painter who brought great technical ability to her subject matter. As one French periodical described her work, '[her] flowers distinguish themselves by their great transparency and her fruits are a perfect imitation' (Farcy, Charles-François, ‘Exposition de 1839,’ Journal des artistes, vol. 1, no. 13, p. 202). While trained in oil painting, de Comoléra also set her talents to porcelain painting for the Sèvres Porcelain Factory between 1816 and 1818, before returning to canvas and settling in London.
In 1827 she was appointed flower painter to the Duchess of Clarence, later Queen Adelaide, queen consort of William IV of the United Kingdom, and it is believed that she continued to hold this post under Queen Victoria. De Comoléra also continued to exhibit in Paris, such as at the Exposition de 1838 L’Orangerie des Tuileries, held by the Société Royale d’Horticulture de Paris - a further testament the hyper-realistic quality of her work. Today her paintings are a part of such prestigious collections as The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
In 1827 she was appointed flower painter to the Duchess of Clarence, later Queen Adelaide, queen consort of William IV of the United Kingdom, and it is believed that she continued to hold this post under Queen Victoria. De Comoléra also continued to exhibit in Paris, such as at the Exposition de 1838 L’Orangerie des Tuileries, held by the Société Royale d’Horticulture de Paris - a further testament the hyper-realistic quality of her work. Today her paintings are a part of such prestigious collections as The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.