Can anyone offer information about the French artist, Pierre Comba 18**-1934? I've been able to find only a little about him, mostly just examples of WW1 subject watercolors. Any and all information will be appreciated. Thank you! --Andy--

-- Andrew Simons (andyroos@earthlink.net), July 24, 2002

Answers

Andy, I think I bought your watercolor a week ago in San Diego. It has men comming around a mountain in the snow. It appears to be in the original frame and has a metal label with P. Comba at the bottom. It looks fantastic. Could you tell me where you bought it and when?

-- Dennis Bourgeois (dbourgeois@qwest.net), March 16, 2003.

Andy, I have just come across your website and for the past 30 years have kept an eye open for information about this Artist! He was born in 1860. Recently, I discovered from a major fine arts auction house here in the UK, that a few of his paintings changed hands in Geneva a year or two ago for sums which I think were in the range of £400 - £500. These were for paintings about 16" x 12". I was fortunate enough to buy two a long time ago from a Surgeon Commander whose father (also a doctor, but in the Army) acquired them for "medical services rendered" whilst serving in France during the First World War! I am not sure if you remain interested in this Artist who I greatly admire, as I see from Dennis Bourgeois' reply that he may have acquired your watercolour? The two I have are each 21" x 14" and both show a French army patrol in the Alps in close single file, wearing dark blue uniforms. Neither is a winter scene. If anyone else can provide further information about Pierre Comba, it would be very interesting to hear from them.

-- James Fisher (jasfisher@btinternet.com), May 25, 2003.

Hi,

In this time of "French bashing", it's good to see that some Americans have some interest for unknown aspects of our culture...

Pierre Comba is the son of a (rather traditional but well appreciated) painter. The roots of the Comba family can be found in Nice. Pierre Comba is well known for his water colours, and particularly for those showing "alpine troops". He was authorized by the French ministry of war to follow them as "peintre officiel des armées". He's also knowm for some of his lithos, made for the PLM train company. Luc Thevevon, curator of the Massena museum in Nice, has done some research work on this painter.

Hope this helps Gérard

-- (gerard.guerrier@wanadoo.fr), February 26, 2004.