Albert ludovici chasse a courre le repas des chasseurs the hunting breakfast james macneil whistler david copperfield charles dickens gravure anglaise

Albert Ludovici, Jr. (1852-1932)

Following the profession of his father, Albert Sr., Albert Ludovici Jr. spent his life between the cities of Paris and London, painting scenes of society at leisure. His genre paintings were found to be most popular, but he also painted a succession of landscapes and interior scenes, in both watercolor and gouache as well as the more prominent oil.

Ludovici primarily exhibited his paintings in London. He participated in exhibitions from 1884 until 1923, and he joined the Society of British Artists in 1881, an organization of which his father had served as treasurer. He featured his works in the Society’s Winter Shows of 1886-87 and 1889-89, and joined their executive committee during this reign as well.

His adoption of focusing his subjects primarily on the interaction of couples, whether in public places or from the private moments within their homes and lives, give his paintings universal appeal. His works are reflective of James MacNeil Whistler, a fellow Society member whom Ludovici counted as a close friend and corresponded with about art and life.


Après la profession de son père, Albert Sr., Albert Ludovici Jr. a passé sa vie entre les villes de Paris et de Londres, peignant des scènes de la société à loisir. Ses peintures de genre ont été trouvés à être plus populaire, mais il a peint une succession de paysages et scènes d'intérieur, à la fois en aquarelle et gouache ainsi que l'huile plus important.

Ludovici principalement expose ses peintures à Londres. Il a participé à des expositions de 1884 à 1923, et il a rejoint la Société des artistes britanniques en 1881, une organisation dont son père avait servi en tant que trésorier. Il a présenté ses œuvres dans les expositions d'hiver de la Société de 1886 à 1887 et de 1889 à 1889, et a rejoint son comité exécutif au cours de ce règne ainsi.

Son adoption de concentrer ses sujets principalement sur l'interaction des couples, que ce soit dans des lieux publics ou des moments privés dans leurs maisons et leurs vies, donner à ses tableaux un attrait universel. Ses œuvres sont le reflet de James MacNeil Whistler, un autre membre dont la Société Ludovici compté comme un ami proche et correspondait avec l'art et la vie.

In ‘David Copperfield Arrives in London’ the young David can bee seen standing at the back of a mail coach which has stopped in the street outside ‘The Blue Boar/ Posting Establishment’. The coach has a sign at back giving the main stops along the route – in this instance London, Ipswich and Yarmouth. The artist has captured the liveliness of the scene, including some suitably ‘Dickensian’ characters such as a dapper gentleman with an eye patch and an old woman getting off the coach by ladder.

‘The Meeting of Pip & Estella in the Inn Yard’ shows the adult Pip and Estella standing outside ‘The Crosskeys/ Coffee House’. Again, a red and black mail coach form part of the background for the scene.
The Meeting of Pip & Estella in the Inn Yard (2009-0055/2)
The Meeting of Pip & Estella in the Inn Yard (2009-0055/2)

Although today the term ‘Dickensian’ is often used to reflect the Victorian era in general, many of Dickens’ novels, including the two depicted here, are set somewhat earlier, before the development of the railways led to the end of the mail coach service. Certainly, the romance of the mail coach outlasted the service itself, as reflected in the artist’s comments about the series in his memoirs An Artists’ Life in London and Paris:

    I cannot help feeling sorry for the present generation, who have no idea of these good old times, and my only regret is that I did not live in the coaching days, which I have so often tried to depict in my Charles Dickens coaching series of pictures.

Both prints have a copyright notice dated 1903 and their clarity suggests that they may possibly be facsimiles of the originals. The prints are lovely items in themselves, and it is arguable that continued reproductions of the images in the early 20th Century simply reflect the enduring popular appeal of many of Dickens’ well-loved characters.