Dora de Pédery-Hunt, LL.D. (16 November 1913 – 29 September 2008) was a Hungarian-Canadian sculptor who designed medals and coins. She was the first Canadian citizen to design an effigy for
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
.
Life
Dora de Pédery was born in
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
,
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
on 16 November 1913 to Attila and Emilia de Pédery.
Her father, Attila, was a scientist and a talented pianist, and her mother regularly sang and told stories to Dora and her two sisters. The family focused on music, schooling, and reading, and the children were encouraged to cultivate their ambitions and talents. Dora initially studied physics, medicine and architecture before choosing art as her intended vocation at the age of 24.
She trained for six years with scholarships at what is now the
Hungarian University of Fine Arts
The Hungarian University of Fine Arts ( Hungarian: ''Magyar Képzőművészeti Egyetem'', MKE) is the central Hungarian art school in Budapest, Andrássy Avenue. It was founded in 1871 as the Hungarian Royal Drawing School ''(Magyar Királyi Mi ...
, Budapest, studying under Elek Lux, Béla Ohmann, and
József Reményi.
She received her Masters Diploma in Sculpture in 1943.
After
German forces occupied Hungary in March 1944, her family decided to flee west to
Helmstedt
Helmstedt (; Eastphalian: ''Helmstidde'') is a town on the eastern edge of the German state of Lower Saxony. It is the capital of the District of Helmstedt. The historic university and Hanseatic city conserves an important monumental heritage of ...
, Germany,
fearing the Soviet advance from the east. Eight months later, they arrived in
Hannover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German States of Germany, state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germa ...
, where her father found work,
but it was not long before its fall to the Allied forces.
Five years later, through the sponsorship of Major Thomas S. Chutter and his family, she immigrated to Canada. She arrived in Toronto and worked as a family's live-in housekeeper for a year. She then became a high school art teacher, a job for which she often walked eight kilometres. She also did odd jobs such as "painting designs on children's furniture, cleaning artists' studios and making Christmas decorations for friends and gift shops."
In 1949, she married Vela Hunt. He was a Hungarian
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
and they knew each other previously in Hannover. They divorced in 1961.
She died from
colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel m ...
in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Ontario on 29 September 2008.
Work
After getting married, de Pédery-Hunt spent the next seven years using her free time to work on her sculpting on her kitchen table. In 1956 she made a large artificial stone portrait of
Frances Loring
Frances Norma Loring LL.D. (October 14, 1887– February 5, 1968) was a Canadian sculptor.
Career
Loring studied in Europe before enrolling at the Art Institute of Chicago, where she studied with Lorado Taft. She was a member of both the Royal C ...
, her friend and a fellow sculptor. She entered the portrait in the
CNE art show, where it was seen by
Alan Jarvis, who was serving as director of the
National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada (french: Musée des beaux-arts du Canada), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the l ...
. Jarvis, who was also a trained professional sculptor, saw the merit of de Pédery-Hunt's piece and played a major role in its purchase for a permanent collection at NGC. Their purchase was her first Canadian sale of sculpture.
Her art turned toward a special interest in making medallions since she often did small-scale sculpting. With Jarvis's encouragement, she applied for
Canada Council
The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the federal government's principal i ...
assistance. She thereafter received a grant in 1958 to study medals displayed in various European galleries, museums, and cathedrals.
She decided to focus on the neglected art of medal-making upon her return to Toronto, and her first commission was to make a Canada Council medal for excellence in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. She created a cast bronze medallion that was ten centimetres in diameter in 1961; on it, she was able to portray music, dance, literature, painting, and sculpture.
In 1963, she was elected to the Ontario Society of Artists.
She was a founding member of the Canadian Portrait Academy and the Medallic Art Society of Canada.
[Canadian Coin News, November 11, 2008, p.10, Trajan Publishing] On numerous occasions, she represented Canada as a Delegate to the International Art Medal Federation FIDEM, with which she was affiliated since 1965.
She had various other affiliations: She was elected to the
Sculptors Society of Canada The Sculptors Society of Canada (SSC) promotes and exhibits contemporary Canadian sculpture.
Founded by Canadian sculptors Frances Loring, Florence Wyle, Elizabeth Wyn Wood, Wood's teacher and husband Emanuel Hahn, Henri Hébert and Alfred Lali ...
in 1953.
She was a member of
Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) is a Canadian arts-related organization that was founded in 1880.
History 1880 to 1890
The title of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts was received from Queen Victoria on 16 July 1880. The Governor General ...
since 1967.
She was also a member of the Hungarian Society of Applied Art and the Hungarian Women's Fine Art Association.
Her career as an artist also included teaching; she taught sculpture at Toronto's Northern Vocational School from 1949 to 1960, at the Women's Art Association in 1956, and at the
Ontario College of Art
Ontario College of Art & Design University, commonly known as OCAD University or OCAD, is a public art university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus is spread throughout several buildings and facilities within do ...
in 1957.
She created the effigy of
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
that was used on Canadian coinage in 1990.
Her medal design of Sir
Donald Alexander Smith
Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal (6 August 182021 January 1914), known as Sir Donald A. Smith between May 1886 and August 1897, was a Scottish-born Canadian businessman who became one of the British Empire's foremo ...
was used by Canada Post as a six cent postage stamp. Two of her portraits of Dr.
Frances Loring
Frances Norma Loring LL.D. (October 14, 1887– February 5, 1968) was a Canadian sculptor.
Career
Loring studied in Europe before enrolling at the Art Institute of Chicago, where she studied with Lorado Taft. She was a member of both the Royal C ...
are in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada.
Over the span of her career, she designed over 600 medals. Additionally, she created a series of small bronze sculptures commemorating Canadian heroes and heroines, and many other works which can be viewed in collections in over 70 major museums worldwide.
Royal Canadian Mint coins
Besides the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, various Royal Canadian Mint gold coins with a face value of one hundred dollars were designed.
Notable medallions
* Inco 1st nickel production medallion: Thompson, Manitoba, Canada (1961)
*
Susanna and the Elders
Susanna (; : "lily"), also called Susanna and the Elders, is a narrative included in the Book of Daniel (as chapter 13) by the Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches and Eastern Orthodox Churches. It is one of the additions to Daniel, plac ...
(1961)
* Head of
Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...
(1963)
* Head of
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
(1963)
*
Dante
Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...
(1965)
* Dante and
Beatrice (1965)
* Medal for the 100th birthday of The
National Archives of Canada
Library and Archives Canada (LAC; french: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada) is the federal institution, tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is t ...
(1963)
*
Norman Bethune
Henry Norman Bethune (; March 4, 1890 – November 12, 1939; zh, t=亨利·諾爾曼·白求恩, p=Hēnglì Nuò'ěrmàn Báiqiú'ēn) was a Canadian thoracic surgeon, early advocate of socialized medicine, and member of the Communist Party ...
Medal for presentation to
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...
by
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau ( , ; October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000), also referred to by his initials PET, was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada
The prime mini ...
in 1973.
* The J. B. Harkin medal for the
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) (french: la Société pour la nature et les parcs du Canada (SNAP)) was founded in 1963 to help protect Canada's wilderness.
Overview
CPAWS was initially known as the National and Provincial Pa ...
* Canadian Government official medal for
Expo 70
The or Expo 70 was a world's fair held in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, Japan between March 15 and September 13, 1970. Its theme was "Progress and Harmony for Mankind." In Japanese, Expo '70 is often referred to as . It was the first world's fair ...
in Osaka, Japan
* John Drainie Award medal for the Association of Canadian Television and Radio Artists
* The Reach for the Top Award for the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
* The 1981
Canadian Numismatic Association
The Royal Canadian Numismatic Association was founded in 1950. It is a nonprofit association for coin collectors and other people interested in Canadian numismatics. It has members throughout Canada and in other countries. At times, it also works ...
Convention Medal
* The
A. J. Casson Award for the
Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour
The Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (in French: La Société Canadienne de Peintres en Aquarelle), founded in 1925 is considered to be Canada's official national watercolour Society. Since the 1980s the Society has enjoyed Vice-regal ...
, in 1991.
* With the collaboration of the Toronto Historical Society, she designed a medal for the city of Toronto's bicentennial in *1993.
* The Ontario Association of Architects' Raymore Medal, given each year to the intern architect attaining the highest marks on the annual professional licensure exams.
*
Norman Bethune
Henry Norman Bethune (; March 4, 1890 – November 12, 1939; zh, t=亨利·諾爾曼·白求恩, p=Hēnglì Nuò'ěrmàn Báiqiú'ēn) was a Canadian thoracic surgeon, early advocate of socialized medicine, and member of the Communist Party ...
Medal for presentation to China by
Justin Trudeau
Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
in 2016.
Awards
de Pédery-Hunt's awards include:
* Centennial Medal (1967)
* Officer of Order of Canada (1974)
*
Honorary LL.D
Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the earl ...
.,
York University
York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,0 ...
(1983)
References
External links
Dora de Pédery-HuntDora de Pédery-Hunt in the Canadian Encyclopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:De Pedery-Hunt, Dora
1913 births
2008 deaths
Artists from Toronto
Canadian currency designers
Hungarian designers
20th-century Canadian women artists
20th-century Hungarian women artists
21st-century Canadian women artists
21st-century Hungarian women artists
Artists from Budapest
Members of the Order of Canada
Members of the Order of Ontario
Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
Deaths from colorectal cancer
Deaths from cancer in Ontario
OCAD University faculty
Women graphic designers
Hungarian emigrants to Canada
Officers of the Order of Canada