Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès (Belgian, 1880-1958)
Venice, 1928-31

signed 'AJ Le Mayeur' (lower left)
oil on board

Dimensions: 25 x 23cm. (9 4/5 x 9in.)

Private collection, London

The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by Drs Jop Ubbens, co-author of Adrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès 1880-1958: Painter-Traveller. This work will be included in the Le Mayeur Archive, Bussum, the Netherlands (LMA).

Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès was a Belgian Impressionist painter best known for his luminous depictions of Balinese life, though his early career included notable works painted in Venice. Born in Ixelles, Brussels, he travelled widely throughout Europe and Asia, with extended stays in Venice between 1919 and 1931, where he painted vivid scenes of the city’s canals, gondolas, and historic architecture, such as this piece. While he admired Impressionist masters like Monet and Renoir, Le Mayeur developed a distinct personal style rooted in colour, natural light, and exotic subjects. Though not known for collaborating closely with specific artists, Le Mayeur was part of a broader European tradition of painters inspired by Southeast Asia. His legacy is preserved in several important collections, including those of President Sukarno of Indonesia and Prime Minister Nehru of India, and his former home in Sanur now serves as the Le Mayeur Museum, exhibiting over 80 of his works. His paintings are also held in institutions like the Agung Rai Museum of Art and Museum Pasifika in Bali, continuing to affirm his place as a vital link between European Impressionism and Balinese visual culture.