Lot 81: Eugenio Alvarez Dumont (1864-1927)

Victoria Station signed, inscribed and dated 'Victoria station. Londrez. 1908 E Alvarez Dumont.' (lower left) oil on board 101/2 x 18 5/8 in. (26.8 x 47.3 cm.) NOTES The fashionable bustle of Victoria station equipes Dumont's painting with his favoured populace of women in small-waisted gowns and swathed hats. He communicates the energy of this environment; the speed of its human traffic, as travellers cross the reflective floor. Dumont assiduosly notes the station signs and its modern features, such as the central weighing machine. 1908 marked the end of a period of development for the station, which had once been two separate terminuses. These were remodelled and enlarged 1905-8, and the Grosvenor Hotel was rebuilt. The station's status as a link to the South coast bequeathed it a particular glamour - evident in Dumont's portrayal.