Marc Aldine
(1870-1972)
By Wendy Owen

Marc Aldine is one of the more interesting artists of his time…and is actually more than one artist. Much like an author’s pen name, Marc Aldine was a pseudonym for the Bouvard family of painters: Antoine Sr., Antoine Jr., Auguste, Eloi-Noel, Georges-Noel and possibly even granddaughter Collette. The head of this painting family was father Antoine, who began the Marc Aldine tradition.

Guidecca Canal
 

Antoine Bouvard would also paint under his given name, and was born in Paris and trained at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Influenced by artist Felix Ziem, Bouvard would travel to the south of France to create his beautiful landscapes.

Views of Venice signed Bouvard

Views of Venice 2 signed Bouvard
 

Bouvard (and Aldine) were also known for their Venetian landscapes and city views which would be painted mostly by Antoine and his son, Eloi-Noel. Anotine’s early training as an architect surely influenced his love for Venetian buildings and skylines and is reflected in his work.

Rio Della Croce, Venice

Venice

Golden Backwater, Venice
 

While typically the Marc Aldine name is attributed to the senior Bouvard, Antoine, it is possible that the Marc Aldine works could have been painted by any one of the artistic family members. Antoine lived from 1870-1955, so anything painted in the later 1950s to the late 1970s and attributed to Marc Aldine was certainly not painted by him. Likewise, the earlier paintings from the 1890’s to the 1920s were more likely to have been painted by Antoine, as other members of the Marc Aldine clan were likely to have been not yet trained in art or not even born.

Tranquil Waters
 

It would be rare to find a painting attributed to Marc Aldine (or Antoine Bouvard) that was not a landscape. His luminous paintings were highly desired, and he was not known to paint portraits or work in other mediums often. For that matter, landscapes created outside of Venice are extremely rare. Whether the name Marc Aldine was used exclusively by Antoine Sr. and Jr. is relatively vague, but most Marc Aldine paintings are attributed to one or the other.

A Venetian Canal
 

Because of the numerous artists attached to the name Marc Aldine, it may be difficult to authenticate a piece of his art. For obvious reasons, it would be hard to distinguish which artist actually had a hand in individual pieces. However, through extensive research, much information can be discovered in order to authenticate a piece of art—even one as tricky as a Marc Aldine.

Back to Artists