Molly Lamb Bobak (née Lamb; February 25, 1920 – March 2, 2014) was a Canadian teacher, writer,
printmaker
Printmaking is the process of creating work of art, artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. "Traditional printmaking" normally covers only the process of creating prints using a hand proce ...
and painter working in oils and watercolours. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, she was the first Canadian woman artist to be sent overseas to document Canada's war effort, and in particular, the work of the
Canadian Women's Army Corps
The Canadian Women's Army Corps was a non-combatant branch of the Canadian Army for women, established during the Second World War, with the purpose of releasing men from those non-combatant roles in the Canadian armed forces as part of expanding ...
(C.W.A.C), as one of
Canada's war artists.
Life and career
Early life
Born Molly Lamb on February 25, 1920, Bobak grew up in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, British Columbia. Bobak's mother, Mary Williams, initially worked as a housekeeper for Bobak's father,
Harold Mortimer-Lamb, when his wife became ill. At some point, her parents decided to move in together along with Mortimer-Lamb's wife and their children. Bobak and her extended family seemed to live happily in this unconventional household.
Mortimer-Lamb was a mining engineer, journalist/art critic and collector who befriended the artists of the
Group of Seven
The Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States; additionally, the European Union (EU) is a "non-enumerated member". It is official ...
, who would visit the family on occasion.
Bobak's reputed poor eyesight and dislike for her teachers left her with poor school marks. Recognizing this, Bobak's mother encouraged her daughter to enroll at the
Vancouver School of Art
Emily Carr University of Art + Design (abbreviated as ECU) is a public art university located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The university's campus is located within the Great Northern Way Campus in Strathcona. The university is a co-e ...
studying with artist
Jack Shadbolt
Jack Leonard Shadbolt, (February 4, 1909 November 22, 1998) was a Canadian painter.
Early life
Born in Shoeburyness, England, Shadbolt came to Canada with his parents in April 1911. He was raised in Victoria, British Columbia. He studied at t ...
, whom she would remain close friends with all her life. Shadbolt enthusiastically encouraged her, and led her to discover European artists such as
Cézanne and
Matisse
Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known prima ...
. He was a lifelong mentor.
World War II
Bobak enlisted in the
Canadian Women's Army Corps
The Canadian Women's Army Corps was a non-combatant branch of the Canadian Army for women, established during the Second World War, with the purpose of releasing men from those non-combatant roles in the Canadian armed forces as part of expanding ...
(C.W.A.C) in 1942 and stayed for four years. This was a vast opportunity as it allowed her to travel and gain new skills. She traveled across Canada and after
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...
she went to London, England where she met her future husband, artist
Bruno Bobak
Bruno Bobak, LL.D., D.Litt (born Bronislaw Jacob Bobak; 27 December 1923 – 24 September 2012) was a Polish-born Canadian war painter and art teacher. His main medium was watercolour painting but he also produced woodcuts.
Early years and war a ...
. As part of the C.W.A.C., she was appointed to document training, marching, working and any other contributions to the war.
From the beginning of her army career she kept a diary that provides a unique visual record of the C.W.A.C life during the war that spans from November 1942 to September 1945.
Her drawing style and often self-deprecating commentary has a humorous tone and gives the whole diary a comedic tone. In structure, it was made to look like a
broadsheet
A broadsheet is the largest newspaper format and is characterized by long Vertical and horizontal, vertical pages, typically of . Other common newspaper formats include the smaller Berliner (format), Berliner and Tabloid (newspaper format), ta ...
newspaper with newspaper with handwritten material, and letter to the editor. The diary was originally created as a personal record but
A.Y. Jackson
Alexander Young Jackson LL. D. (October 3, 1882April 5, 1974) was a Canadian painter and a founding member of the Group of Seven. Jackson made a significant contribution to the development of art in Canada, and was instrumental in bringing toget ...
felt it demonstrated her potential as a war artist
and is now seen as a unique view into a women’s experiences in
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
army life. It was three years after she enlisted that she was appointed by the Canadian War Artists Selection Committee as Canada's first female official war artist.
Some sketches such as "Gas Drill, Vermilion was a preparatory material for her piece ''Gas Drill'' (1944) which is now held at the
Canadian War Museum
The Canadian War Museum (french: link=no, Musée canadien de la guerre; CWM) is a national museum on the country's military history in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The museum serves as both an educational facility on Canadian military history, in a ...
.
![Molly_Bobak_-_Gas_Drill_(CWM_19710261-1603)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Molly_Bobak_-_Gas_Drill_%28CWM_19710261-1603%29.jpg)
Among the most significant works Bobak created as an official war artist is ''Private Roy'' (1946). It is one of the few depictions of Canadian soldiers of colour created as part of the Canadian War Records program. The subject of the portrait is Sergeant
Eva May Roy.
In 1992
Dundurn Press
Dundurn Press is one of the largest Canadian-owned book publishing companies of adult and children's fiction and non-fiction. The company publishes Canadian literature, history, biography, politics and arts. Dundurn has about 2500 books in print, ...
, published a book titled ''Double Duty: Sketches and Diaries of Molly Lamb Bobak Canadian War Artist'' that incorporated her wartime diaries and sketches edited by Carolyn Gossage. What was unique about the diary was that she created it in the form of a newspaper, with headlines, interviews and editorials. In 2015,
Library and Archives 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 th ...
digitized all 226 pages of the dairy and made it available on their website to mark the 70th anniversary of her appointment as Canada's only official woman war artist.
Post-War
After the end of the war, the Bobaks had a son, Alex, and tried to make a living on the West Coast by painting, teaching, and other various jobs. She painted little during these years, as she was busy looking after her children and teaching painting at night school. However, she met
Jacques Maritain
Jacques Maritain (; 18 November 1882 – 28 April 1973) was a French Catholic philosopher. Raised Protestant, he was agnostic before converting to Catholicism in 1906. An author of more than 60 books, he helped to revive Thomas Aquinas fo ...
, a French
Thomist philosopher and
Vatican
Vatican may refer to:
Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum
The Holy See
* The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...
ambassador to the United States. He was impressed with her work, and arranged for a visit to France on a French Government Scholarship.
Alan Jarvis, 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 ...
was also impressed by her work, and invited her to participate in exhibitions such as the
Sao Paulo Biennial
SAO or Sao may refer to:
Places
* Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD
* Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso
* Saco Transportation Center (station code SAO), a train station in Saco, Maine, U.S. ...
and the
Vancouver Art Gallery
The Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) is an art museum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The museum occupies a adjacent to Robson Square in downtown Vancouver, making it the largest art museum in Western Canada by building size. Designed by Franc ...
's Third Canadian Biennial in 1960. Through these exhibitions, she was able to enjoy increasing financial success and popularity.
She was among the first generation of Canadian women artists to work professionally and earn a living from their art.
Life in Fredericton
After spending four years in Europe with money from the
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 ...
, Bruno was offered a position teaching at the
University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick (UNB) is a public university with two primary campuses in Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick. It is the oldest English-language university in Canada, and among the oldest public universities in North Americ ...
in
Fredericton
Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city. The river is the do ...
, New Brunswick. Bruno and Molly settled in Fredericton, where she continued to live.
In 1973, she was elected to 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 ...
and in 1993, the
MacKenzie Art Gallery
The MacKenzie Art Gallery (MAG; french: Musee d’art MacKenzie) is an art museum located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The museum occupies the multipurpose T. C. Douglas Building, situated at the edge of the Wascana Centre. The building holds e ...
in
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina () is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 C ...
organized a major touring retrospective of her work.
Bobak is now most widely recognized for her depictions of crowds of people, always dynamic, and her work from World War II. Her paintings of crowded scenes serve to record public events and visual experiences of large numbers of people sharing the same space, time and celebration. However, she denies that they are purely records or memorials of events and not social and psychological investigations. They remain for Bobak, an aesthetic challenge because of their dynamic constantly changing rhythm.
Collections
Bobak's work is included in the collections 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 ...
and the
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec ( en, National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec), abbreviated as MNBAQ, is an art museum in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The museum is situated in Battlefield Park and is a complex consisting of four bui ...
.
Library and Archives 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 th ...
holds the Molly Lamb Bobak and Bruno Bobak fonds. The archive contains their personal records including prints (woodcut, serigraph, and wood engraving), drawings, watercolours, photographs and 2.3 meters of textual records.
Awards and honours
*Canadian Army Art Competition, 1944.
*First prize, Graphic Art Society, 1966.
*French Government scholarship for study in France, 1950–51.
*Canada Council fellowship for study in Europe, 1960–61.
*
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the ...
, 1995.
["Molly Lamb Bobak, Canada's first female overseas war artist, dead at 95"]
CBC News"
*
Order of New Brunswick
The Order of New Brunswick (french: Ordre du Nouveau Brunswick) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Instituted in 2000 by Lieutenant Governor Marilyn Trenholme Counsell, on the advice of the Cabinet under Prem ...
, 2002.
Death
Bobak died March 2, 2014.
There were 32 official war artists in World War II and she was the last surviving member.
See also
*
Canadian official war artists Canadian official war artists create an artistic rendering of war through the media of visual, digital installations, film, poetry, choreography, music, etc., by showing its impact as men and women are shown waiting, preparing, fighting, suffering, ...
*
War artist
*
Military art
Military art is art with a military subject matter, regardless of its style or medium. The battle scene is one of the oldest types of art in developed civilizations, as rulers have always been keen to celebrate their victories and intimidate po ...
References
Further reading
*Brandon, Laura.
War Art in Canada: A Critical History'. Toronto: Art Canada Institute, 2021. ISBN 978-1-4871-0271-5
*Carolyn Gossage co-author *Bobak, Molly Lamb. ''Double duty: sketches and diaries of Molly Bobak, Canadian war artist.'' Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1992.
*Gewurtz, Michelle.
Molly Lamb Bobak: Life & Work'. Toronto: Art Canada Institute, 2018.
*Richmond, Cindy and Brian Foss. ''Molly Bobak: a retrospective.'' Regina, Sask.: MacKenzie Art Gallery, 1993.
*Tippett, Maria. ''By A Lady.'' Toronto: Viking Canada, 1992.
*Robb, Peter.
' Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa, ON. February 3, 2014
*Lawlor, Allison.
Molly Lamb Bobak was first Canadian woman sent overseas as war artist.'The Globe and Mail, Toronto, ON, March 14, 2014
*Scoones, Anny. ''Last Dance in Shediac: Memories of Mum, Molly Lamb Bobak.'' Victoria: Touchwood Editions, 2015.
*Letwin, Hilary. ''Molly Lamb Bobak: Talk of the Town.'' Burnaby: Burnaby Art Gallery, 2018.
External links
Brief biography and select imagesfrom the National Gallery of Canada.
Selection of Bobak’s worksat the Gallerie Walter Klinkhoff.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bobak, Molly
Members of the Order of Canada
Members of the Order of New Brunswick
1920 births
2014 deaths
Canadian women painters
Canadian war artists
Artists from New Brunswick
Artists from Vancouver
Emily Carr University of Art and Design alumni
Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
People from Fredericton
World War I artists
20th-century Canadian women artists
Canadian watercolourists