Nestor Cambier (1879–1957) was a Belgian artist and draftsman whose portraits were compared favourably with those of John Singer Sargent but who now is largely forgotten. He also painted landscapes, city and interior views, still-lives, murals and stained glass, and also produced numerous pencil and chalk drawings.
Early life and training Cambier was born in Couillet (now part of Charleroi) in Belgium. He studied at the college of Ixelles, Brussels, before entering the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, where he studied portraiture under the masters Joseph Stallaert and Gustave Vanaise until 1900. At age 21 he had already exhibited at the Brussels Salon, with a portrait of a young girl and a landscape.Reprint from the journal "Le Thyrse", Brussels, 1934. Copies of this document are scarce but a pdf replica of the original in French, or a pdf English translation are obtainable from Louis Calvete
Professional life In 1903, Cambier exhibited at the Triennial Salon of Beaux Arts in Brussels with pictures of a Brabançon innkeeper, a colourful Bazaar, a large tableau of the Cid and the Leper, and a study in pastels of Salome.
He went to the United States (1906–1909), working first at Ascenzo's studios. He continued to paint portraits and in 1907 exhibited at the Academy of Fine Art in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he won the John Wanamaker prize. He designed large stained glass windows for the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart,Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark, New Jersey , Newark, New Jersey, while it was under construction. (Recent investigation shows that delays in construction resulted in the 214 stained glass windows not being completed until 1950, by when they had been redesigned by Franz Zettler.The Stained Glass of the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark, New Jersey by T.E.McCarrick and R.F. Gronki)
Cambier returned to Belgium in 1909, where he painted further portraits and extended his painting to landscapes. In 1914 he held an exhibition of his works at Blankenberge, Belgium, where he was almost trapped when Germany invaded Belgium at the start of the First World War, and which resulted in the loss of many of his canvasses.
He then spent 19 years intermittently in the United Kingdom (1914–1933), and in 1915 and 1916 he donated some of his works for auction on behalf of the British Red Cross, reaching prices comparable with the best English painters. In 1923 he became a member of the North British Academy of Arts, and became a resident guest of Sir Henry and Lady Barber at Culham Court, near Henley, Oxfordshire. During this time, he painted numerous portraits of Lady Barber (1869–1932), and pictures of the interior of Culham Court and the surrounding countryside.
Posthumous fame Following his death in Brussels in 1957, a retrospective show of Cambier's art was held in Brussels in 1967 at the Baron René Steens gallery. His works are allegedly displayed in Birmingham, London, Paris, Rheims and Lausanne. Piron: Dictionnaire et Signature, Arto
Perhaps the largest collection of Cambier's paintings (25, plus numerous photographs and memorabilia) are held by The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, founded by Dame Martha Constance Hattie Barber (1869–1933) at Birmingham University, who married the solicitor and property developer, William Henry Barber, a highly successful businessman who made his fortune in the expanding suburbs of Birmingham. By the mid 1930s he and Lady Barber were able to retire to Culham Court, an 18th-century estate in Oxfordshire. Between 1914 and 1930, Cambier was a frequent visitor and resident there, where he painted landscapes of the estate and painted eighteen portraits commissioned by Lady Barber as presents for her husband. Lord Barber died in 1927, and Lady Barber founded the institute in 1932 to which all the paintings were transferred. Cambier's other paintings appear to be dispersed in private hands.Index barber.org.uk
Honours 1924 : Knight of the Order of the Crown.
Gallery
Catalogue
Dated works Source:PCF (Public Catalogue Foundation) of Oil Paintings in Public Ownership, Birmingham Collections 2011 Paintings held by the Barber Institute of Fine Arts marked *
1900Portrait of a young girl and a landscape1901La Danse de Salome19.1" x 10.6"Pastel1906Vue du Pont de Brooklyn, New York15.7" x 23.2"Oil/canvas1907Portraits in the United States1908Stained glass for Newark Cathedral, New Jersey, USA1909Portrait of Cardinal Mercier, popularised as a print1910Portrait of the violinist César Thomson1911Portrait of the minister Jules Renkin1912Procession in Brabant1913Landscape of the surroundings of Durbuy1914–1923 *15 Portraits of Lady Barber including one of her in a riding-habit, shown at the Royal Academy1916–1917 *6 paintings of gardens and rock gardens at Culham Court1917The Triumph of the Allies, a huge mural for the military institute at Port-Villez (Eure)1917 *An interior at Culham Court1917? Les Blue Bells dans la forêt (Culham Court)1917? The dining-room at Culham Court1917? *Le Miroir (Culham Court)1920? *Portrait of an unidentified widow1924Louis (owned by L. Calvete)13" x 12" Pastel1930Salon at the house of the Duke of Westminster35.5" x 40.6"Oil/panel1930Drawing dedicated to I.Calvete1931 * A Flower Piece1935Painting of Queen Astrid
Undated pictures Source: unless otherwise indicated Le combat de Kato. 9.1" x 11" OilNapoléon à l'intérieur de la bibliothèque de la Malmaison14.96" x 18.90"OilJeune femme en blanc dans un intérieur. 16.54" x 12.60" OilCoin de mon jardin 16" x 12" OilElégante au jardin 15.7" x 11.8" OilElégante dans un intérieur 14.2" x 11" OilFillette assise sur le canapé rouge 18.5" x 14.2" OilLa salon de la Comtesse de Bousies á Bruxelles 9.1" x 11.4" OilLe chien au nœud vert 20.1" x 9.8" OilLes baigneuses 11" x 16.3" OilTroupeau de vaches et Moutons dans les ruines 13.4" x 17.3" OilVallée de la Meuse ensoleillée. 15.4" x 19.3" OilBord de Meuse9.1" x 11"OilVue de Bruges 9.3" x 14.6" OilLe diner este servi 65" x 52" Oil/PanelInterior of a church 23.62" x 19.69" Oil/PanelGrand place de Bruxelles Oil/PanelChurch Interior. 23.6" x 19.7" PanelIntérieur 19.7" x 25.6" PanelL'alcove verte 12".6 x 16.1" PanelIntérieur19.7" x 25.6"PanelIntérieur d'Eglise23.6" x 19.7"PanelLa Promenade Oil/CanvasDans de jardin de roses 25.2" x 19.7" Oil/CanvasPaysage enneigé avec église(Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium No. inventaire 12039) 32" x 41.2" Oil/CanvasIntérieur 12.2" x 11" CanvasIntérieur12.2" x 11"CanvasUntitled 25.6" x 21.7" PaintingMaternité 18.90" x 12.20" PastelL'enfant à l'orange 21.06" x 10.24" PastelSalon of the Belgian Embassy in London 17.3" x 23.6" PastelL'enfant á l'orange 21.3" x 10.2" PastelPark View 5.5" x 8.3 PastelL'église de Dave sur Meuse 13" x 10.2" Drawing"Forést" (paysage) 5.3" x 7.3"DrawingSwans gliding on the water alongside the Saint-Jean Hôpital at Bruges.(Owned by Mme. Ledieux in Paris?}Grange de l'Abbaye Ter Doest a Lissewege13.6" X 15.6"CharcoalL'Eglise a Landelies (Charleroi)15.4" x 13.8"CrayonSans Titre (Femme aux Chaussures Roses)16.3" x 9.6"WashSans Titre (Paysage)13.8" x 15"PencilSans Titre (Interieur)11" x 13.2")PencilVechmael (Limbourg)15.7" x 13.8"CrayonLa salon de la Comtesse de Bousies à Bruxelles 23" x 29"Vue de la Tamise à Londres The choir of l'Eglise Sta-Croix at IxellesSilene drunk held by a faun and a bacchante Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Illustrations of volumes by R. Bazin, Comte Carton de Wiart (Mes Vacances av Congo), Charcot.
Original drawing on the fly leaf of a catalogue. Type Brugeois, portrait sketch in colour pencil ca. 9 x 7 cm.
Vivid portrait sketch made by the artist while visiting the Bruges Salon of 1913–14, made on the fly-leave of the Salon Catalogue: Cercle Artistique Brugeois, XXXVIe Salon, in-8°, 21.5 x 11 cm, stapled, original stiff wrapper. Nestor Cambier was represented by 5 paintings. Of these 4 were marked in red by him with the remark that they were stolen by the Germans at Blankenberg.
Undated portraits Source: Baron Cartier de Marchienne, Belgian Ambassador in LondonJoe Chamberlain, in the gallery of the Union Committee RoomSir Douglas Dawson, secretary of the Order of the GarterMrs Edward Tchurlow, shown at the Belgian Art Exhibition at Brighton in 1930Countess Pierrefeu VilleneuveBaron of LambertThe Viscounts of PierrefeuSir William Holdsworth, painted at the University of OxfordThe Dean of the Law Faculty at Birmingham.
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