F. S. Coburn D.C.L. (March18, 1871 May26, 1960), also known as Frederick Simpson Coburn, was a Canadian painter, illustrator and a photographer of note.A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, volumes 1-8 by Colin S. MacDonald, and volume 9 (online only), by Anne Newlands and Judith Parker National Gallery of Canada / Musée des beaux-arts du Canada

Career

Coburn was born in the village of Upper Melbourne in Quebec's Eastern Townships, southeast of Montreal. His talent was recognized early by

William Henry Drummond William Henry Drummond (April 13, 1854 – April 6, 1907) was an Irish-born Canadian poet whose humorous dialect poems made him "one of the most popular authors in the English-speaking world," and "one of the most widely-read and loved poets" ...

who introduced him to the firm of Notman and Fraser for advice on Coburn's art education. It suggested the Council of Arts and Manufactures School in Montreal where he studied briefly before moving on to the Carl Hecker School of Art in New York, the Royal Academy in Berlin (1890), study with

Jean-Léon Gérôme Jean-Léon Gérôme (11 May 1824 – 10 January 1904) was a French painter and sculptor in the style now known as academicism. His paintings were so widely reproduced that he was "arguably the world's most famous living artist by 1880." The ran ...

in Paris, then in London, the

Slade School of Fine Art The UCL Slade School of Fine Art (informally The Slade) is the art school of University College London (UCL) and is based in London, England. It has been ranked as the UK's top art and design educational institution. The school is organised as ...

, with

Henry Tonks Henry Tonks, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, FRCS (9 April 1862 – 8 January 1937) was a British surgeon and later draughtsman and painter of figure subjects, chiefly interiors, and a Caricature, caricaturist. He became an influentia ...

. While studying with Tonks, he did paintings for the ''London Sporting and Dramatic News'', and illustrations for the ''London News''. In 1896, he illustrated the first volume of poetry by

on rural Quebec society, ''The Habitant'' (1897) and to do this, spent weeks living with and sketching habitant families. He later illustrated all of Drummond's works. In 1897, he returned to Europe for additional study with

Albrecht de Vriendt Albrecht Frans Lieven De Vriendt or Albrecht De Vriendt (In French-language publications referred to as Albert De Vriendt or Albert François Lieven De Vriendt)

at the Institut Supérieur des Beaux-Arts in Belgium. While there, he painted the thatched cottages, cattle, beaches and windmills of Holland as well as Dutch interiors and became fluent in French, German, Dutch and Flemish. In 1898, he won the Belgian Government's "Goot" subsidy, which entitled him to three years of tuition-free study. Coburn illustrated

Louis Fréchette Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis (d ...

's ''Christmas in French Canada'' (1899), followed by the French edition, ''La Noël au Canada'' (1900). He later collaborated with G.P. Putnam Company of New York, and illustrated books by authors such as

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

Alfred Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

, and others. He also illustrated magazine articles and covers. In the early 1900s, Coburn painted still lifes of flowers, portraits, and spring and summer landscapes of the Eastern Townships which were dark in tone. In 1913, he returned to live in Canada after years spent living in Antwerp. In 1914, sketching trips with Maurice Cullen changed the coloration and subject-matter of his work. He began painting oils in full colour and with a study of the effects of light. He specialized in the painting of horse and oxen drawn sleds in Laurentian and Eastern Townships settings. His work was exhibited in Canada and abroad. In 1928, he exhibited two canvases at the ''Imperial Gallery of Art Exhibition'' in London, England. In 1929, he won the

Art Association of Montreal The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA; french: Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, MBAM) is an art museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the largest art museum in Canada by gallery space. The museum is located on the historic Golden Square ...

's Jessie Dow prize for his painting, ''March Morning''. In 1932, the Arts Club of Montreal held a special exhibition of his Drummond illustrations. In 1938, he exhibited two paintings in the

Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

's ''A Century of Canadian Art'' exhibition in London. He became a full member of the

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 ...

in 1941. He also was a member of the Pen and Pencil Club of Montreal and its President (1942). In 1936, he received an Honorary Doctor of Civil Law conferred upon him by Bishop's University at

Lennoxville Lennoxville is an ''arrondissement'', or borough, of the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Lennoxville is located at the confluence of the St. Francis and Massawippi Rivers approximately five kilometres south of downtown Sherbrooke. Lennoxvi ...

, Quebec. His work is included in public collections such as the National Gallery, Brisbane, Australia; The Tate, London, England; 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 ...

and the Sherbrooke Museum; in galleries in Japan; Belgium; Europe; and the USA. A 1940 photograph of a work by Coburn taken by Notman and Fraser is in the collection of the

McCord Museum The McCord Stewart Museum (french: Musée McCord Stewart) is a public research and teaching museum dedicated to the preservation, study, diffusion, and appreciation of Canadian history. The museum, whose full name is McCord Museum of Canadian His ...

, Montreal. After his wife's death in 1933, he was inspired by a model named Carlotta and painted her in the dance costumes she created for her performances of the

Tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...

and other dances. Coburn also learned how to dance, and together with Carlotta and her dance partner, Alvarez, he established a dance studio in Montreal. On May 26, 1960, Frederick Simpson Coburn died peacefully in his Melbourne studio at 89 years of age.

Personal life

In Antwerp the met his future wife, the Belgian artist, Malvina Scheepers. Together, they established a studio-home in Coburn's village of Upper Melbourne, Quebec and a pied-à-terre in Montreal.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coburn, F. S. 1871 births 1960 deaths Canadian male painters Artists from Quebec 19th-century Canadian painters 20th-century Canadian painters Canadian landscape painters Canadian illustrators People from Estrie 19th-century Canadian male artists 20th-century Canadian male artists Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts