Accession Number

983.793b

Description

This oil painting on canvas depicts a sombre religious procession of men in religious costume walking past buildings and trees toward an imposing exterior double Roman-archway of random ashlar construction, the apparent leader of the procession holding a single candle and climbing steps on the viewer’s right, passing under a similarly-proportioned archway, the next two procession members walking side by side swinging censers, followed by a man carrying a cross, in turn followed by at least seven men carrying a single candle each, the artist’s signature “A  Bredow” at the lower left corner 10.3 cm to the right of the gilt frame liner. 

Narrative

This painting was owned by Joan Dunsmuir and sold from Craigdarroch’s dining room as lot #104 at the June 21, 1909 Dunsmuir Executor’s auction. Attached to the back of the frame is an old paper label bearing the work’s title: “Kreuzgang im Magdeburger Dom -  16 Jahrh Procession” (translation: Cloister in the Magdeburg Cathedral - 16th Century Procession). Magdeburg is a city in eastern Germany situated on the Elbe River.

The artist, Albert Bredow (German, 1828-1899) sold at least five versions of this picture. One of them is identically framed and hangs at Ripponlea House museum in Melbourne, Australia. Another version was, as recently as 2002, at a private collector’s residence in Oak Brook, Illinois, USA. Another version sold at public auction in the UK in 2008.

Kathleen O’Reilly, a close friend of the Dunsmuir family, painted a watercolour version of this painting in 1884. This fact suggests that oil painting 983.793 may have been in the Dunsmuirs’ previous Victoria house, “Fairview”, before it was moved to the newly completed Craigdarroch in 1890. Kathleen O’Reilly’s watercolour copy is in the collection of Victoria’s Point Ellice House.

This painting’s history as part of the Dunsmuir family’s original furnishings of Craigdarroch makes it a highly significant object in The Castle Society’s Primary Collection. 

History of Use

This painting might have been purchased by Robert and Joan Dunsmuir during their 1883 trip to Europe. In 1884, Kathleen O’Reilly, a Victoria friend of the family, painted a watercolour copy of this picture – probably when it hung on a wall at Fairview, the Dunsmuirs' Victoria residence prior to Craigdarroch’s completion. Kathleen O'Reilly's version is in the Point Ellice House Collection.

The donor's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Scott of Victoria (builders of Victoria’s now demolished Scott Building), purchased the painting at Joan Dunsmuir’s Executor’s auction held at Craigdarroch Castle on June 21, 1909. The painting hung in their Oak Bay home until it was returned to Craigdarroch. The picture was donated to the Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society by the Scott's daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Crane in 1969. This provenance is explained in writer Dorothy Wrotnowski’s article in the Victoria newspaper, The Daily Colonist, March 21, 1969, page 3.

Date

circa 1875

Dimensions

95.3 x 139.7 cm

Artwork Title

Kreuzgang im Magdeburger Dom 16 Jahrh Procession

Subject/Image

Magdeburg Catherdral, Germany

Medium

Oil

Support

Canvas

Inscription

On the verso, hand-written on a paper label: Kreuzgang im Magdeburger Dom 16 Jahrh Procession

Country of Origin

Germany