Edward Combes Britain, Australia, 1830-95
Past Sales
Sales by Medium
Where to buy or sell art works by Edward Combes
Auction Houses
About Edward Combes
Born in England in 1830, Combes arrived in Australia in 1851 as a prospector, and worked as an engineer in the goldfields of Ballarat and Bendigo. He left Australia for Paris in 1854, where he studied scientific engineering and watercolour drawing. In 1855 he was appointed engineering aide to Louis Napoleon, returning to New South Wales two years later to work in the public service as a mining engineer and surveyor. In 1872 he became a politician in the New South Wales parliament. He exhibited widely in London and Paris and was a member of the Royal Institute of Watercolour painters. Combes was on the committee of the New South Wales Academy of Art and was president of the Art Society of New South Wales. He was said to have been instrumental in convincing the government to grant 500 pounds towards the foundation of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
The earliest auction listing we have for Edward Combes is in 1980 and in total 15 works by the artist have been offered for sale, of which 9 (60%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $2,160 for Coastal Scene sold by Lawson~Menzies (now trading as Menzies) in November 2010. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2017. Works by Edward Combes are held by the Art Gallery of NSW.
Edward Combes is listed in the following standard biographical references:
- McCulloch, Alan McCulloch, Susan McCulloch, Emily McCulloch-Childs. The New McCulloch's Encyclopedia of Australian Art. 4th Edition, Aus Art Melbourne & The Miegunyah Press, 2006. Page 337
- Campbell, Jean. Australian Watercolour Painters: 1780 to the Present Day. Craftsman House, Sydney, 1989. Page 298
- Dictionary of Australian Artists Online, an online resource for biographical data about Australian artists, designers, craftspeople and curators.
Artists' Resale Royalty
Could the second and subsequent works by this artist sold after June 9, 2010 for over $1,000 be liable for the Artists' Resale Royalty? More info…
No, ineligible. The artist has been deceased for more than 70 years.
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