Quebec from Point Levi

Book Description

Quebec: 1836-1842. Watercolour over pencil with scratching out and gum arabic, inscribed in pencil on verso. 19th century water gilt frame. 16 3/4 x 22 3/4 inches. A spectacular 19th century watercolour view of Quebec from across the St. Lawrence River by a noted military artist. Philip J. Bainbrigge (1817-1881), son of General Sir Philip Bainbrigge (1786-1862), was born at Lichfield, Staffordshire, on January 16, 1817. He entered the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich in 1830 and graduated in 1833. Requesting a posting abroad, Bainbrigge "arrived in Canada on board the Arab transport on June 25, 1836, in time to take part in the military operations along the Richelieu RIver and at St. Eustache during the Rebellions of 1837-8. Bainbrigge travelled widely in Upper and Lower Canada and the Maritimes, reporting on fortifications and other defensive measures. He was assigned oin special survey duty concerning the Maine- New Brunswick boundary dispute and was acting adjutant from 1841 until his return to England August 4, 1842" (Cooke). "Like many British officer- painters, Bainbrigge received his artistic training at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. There, he was instructed in the proper use of perspective and in the handling of light and shade, and he employed these techniques with an ease and spontaneity well-suited to the principles of landscape painting. His rather individual style, while in accordance with the artistic trends of the time, resulted in watercolours that are quite distinctive. A thematic analysis of Bainbrigge's work reveals a definite predilection for depicting landscapes - either in summer or winter - into which he would work whatever section of the city he could see from his vantage point. His palette thus consisted of a range of natural colours, such as browns, reds and dark greens, which he applied in varying degrees of thickness" (Graham). The Public Archives Canada holds the principal collection of works by Bainbrigge, including approximately 170 watercolours. Two Bainbrigge watercolours are cited in the catalogue of the Samuel Collection (Jefferys 450 and 460), including a view of Quebec from the Citadel on the opposite shore from the present watercolour, with two more in the Coverdale Collection (Cooke 35 and 36) and three in the Royal Ontario Museum (Allodi 57-59). Other holdings include the National Gallery of Canada (no. 28043). Harper, p. 14; Conrad Graham, Mont Royalville Marie: Early Plans and Views of Montreal, McCord Museum of Canadian History, p.103; Allodi, Canadian Watercolours and Drawings in the Royal Ontario Museum (Ontario: 1974); Cooke, W. H. Coverdale Collection of Canadiana (Ottawa: 1983); Jefferys, A Catalogue of the Sigmund Samuel Collection (Toronto: 1948).

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