Antiquarian Auctions

Auction #114 begins on 11 Apr 2024

Roupell (Arabella)

ORIGINAL WATERCOLOUR PAINTING OF FLOWERS

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With another fragment salvaged from the ‘D’Urban’ album.
1. Watercolour painting depicting a display of flowers including Geranium sp. possibly     G.robertianum (English geranium),Crotalaria sp.(?C. capensis)and Parochetus africanus. Painted on card with signs on the back of having been removed from an album. 
275 x 222 mm. Undated and probably painted after her return from the Cape in 1844.

2. Scrap of a watercolour depicting  a Heliophilia coronopifolia from Namaqualand and the Western Cape. Mounted on a leaf from an artist’s sketch pad.
185 x  100 mm. Undated but probably from her period at the Cape, 1843/4.
A pencil note on the back of the of the watercolour states, ‘Drawn by Mrs Thomas Bourne Roupell (née Arabella Elizabeth Piggott) born Edgemead Rectory, Newport. Salop.
To be given to Miss Gunn, Pretoria, South Africa by Elizabeth Chute Roupell her daughter in law.’

When at the Cape between 1843 and 1844 ‘Arabella Roupell began to gather and paint the local Cape flora for which she is so famous today. She befriended Lady D’Urban, who together with Sir Benjamin was living in retirement at Wynberg. Whilst she does not seem to have been an artist herself, Lady D’Urban kept an album of sketches and paintings to which friends were asked to contribute.’ (F.G. Ritchings). This album was acquired by the great Africana collector John Gubbins in the 1920’s whose library was later bought by The University of the Witwatersrand and housed in temporary accommodation awaiting the completion of the main library. Towards the end of December 1931 fire broke out destroying most of the collection. ‘Most of the valuable manuscripts belonging to the Gubbins Collection had, as a special security measure, been placed in a fire-proof safe lined with asbestos. The safe crashed through the fire’s inferno from the library above. It was found among the debris on the ground floor. When the safe was opened, the manuscripts were found to have been reduced to powder by the intensity of the heat and it was impossible, even with the most modern methods available, to rescue any of them’ (Godfrey – The Enchanted Door). A few fragments of the D’Urban Album survived. In a letter accompanying the fragment to Mr Bourke (Myles Bourke), dated 20th Jan. 1931, Gubbins writes, ‘Enclosed please find, with the compliments of the Gubbins Library, the best preserved piece of Mrs Roupell’s work in the D’Urban Album which was, as you see, destroyed except for a little of the centre. Cut out nicely, it will look quite well if mounted and will give you a specimen of her work.’

From Bourke the fragment was passed to Mary Gunn noted librarian and bibliographer. The library of the Botanical Research Institute in Pretoria (later National Botanical Institute)  bears her name. Mary Gunn’s research into early botanical history in South Africa resulted in the acquisition of a number of priceless works and amongst these were Arabella Roupell’s paintings which she traced. These paintings were later bequeathed  by Arabella’s grandson, George, to General Jan Smuts, renowned South African and naturalist, and finally found a home in the Bolus Herbarium of the University of Cape Town  Eleven of these paintings were published under the title “More Cape Flowers by a Lady” Very few other examples of Roupell’s work are known. 

  • Overall Condition: Very good
  • Sold By: Clarke's Africana & Rare Books
  • Contact Person: Paul Mills
  • Country: South Africa
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Telephone: 021 794 0600
  • Preferred Payment Methods: Visa & Mastercard via PayGate secure links and Bank transfers.
  • Trade Associations: ABA - ILAB, SABDA


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