Théophile Hamel | |
|---|---|
 Théophile Hamel, self-portraitc. 1837 | |
| Born | (1817-11-08)8 November 1817 Sainte-Foy,Quebec, Canada |
| Died | 23 December 1870(1870-12-23) (aged 53) Quebec City,Quebec, Canada |
| Known for | Painter |
Théophile-Abraham Hamel (8 November 1817 – 23 December 1870) was a Canadian artist who painted mainly portraits and religious images in 19th-century Quebec.[1]
Hamel was born in 1817 inSainte-Foy (then a suburb ofQuebec City), the son of a successful farmer.[2] Hamel's paternal ancestry can be traced to French immigrant Jean Hamel, who arrived inNew France fromAvremesnil (Normandy) in 1656. In 1834 Théophile was already taking art lessons fromAntoine Plamondon. For a while he attended theAccademia di San Luca, in Rome. He was very much interested in the works of theRomantics.[3]
Hamel was an apprentice for the artist Antoine Plamondon (1804-1895). Through this experience, Hamel learned to draw and paint in a European style.[2] His early portraits show a mixture of European romanticism and Canadian simplicity. His style gradually changed to match the taste of his clients for simple, honest, even prim portraits.[4]
In 1838 he painted 'Three Indian Chiefs Leading a Delegation to Quebec. In 1840, Hamel opened his own art studio, but decided to continue his education abroad to improve his business as a professional artist taking commissions.[2] So, in 1843, Hamel travelled to Europe (London, Naples, Rome, Florence, Bologna, Venice, and then north to France and Belgium).[5] In 1846 he returned to Canada to Quebec. Throughout his career he travelled throughoutCanada East andCanada West, painting portraits of such notables as SirJohn Beverley Robinson,Denis-Benjamin Viger, SirAllan MacNab,Louis-Joseph Papineau,John Sandfield Macdonald, and SirÉtienne Taché. He worked quickly, often completing a portrait in a single day.[6]
Hamel also painted religious pictures for various commissions, and a series of "imaginative" or "semi-imaginative" portraits ofJacques Cartier,Samuel de Champlain,Jean Talon,Montcalm, and GeneralJames Murray. The image of Cartier even appeared on a banknote.[7] It is estimated that Hamel painted more than 2000 portraits during his lifetime.[8] In 1848, he painted portraits ofRobert Baldwin andLouis-Hippolyte Lafontaine. In 1850-1, he paintedEgerton Ryerson. In 1853, he painted 'Madame Renaud and Her Daughters Wilhemine and Emma'. His painting 'L'Abbé Edouard Faucher', painted in 1855, now hangs at Eglise de Saint-Laurent, Lotbiniere. His painting of SirAllan MacNab, painted in 1853, hangs in theHouse of Commons of Canada.[9]
In 1857, at age of 40, he married Mathilde-Georgiana Faribault, daughter ofGeorge-Barthélemy Faribault, a pioneer librarian. He died in Quebec City, in December 1870.[10]
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| Title/subject | Artist | Date created | Medium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Baldwin | Théophile Hamel | 1848 | Oil on canvas |
| Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine | Théophile Hamel | 1848 | Oil on canvas |
| Egerton Ryerson | Théophile Hamel | 1850-1 | Oil on canvas |
| 'Madame Renaud and Her Daughters Wilhemine and Emma' | Théophile Hamel | 1853 | Oil on canvas |
| 'L'Abbé Edouard Faucher' | Théophile Hamel | 1855 | Oil on canvas |
| Jean-Antoine Panet | Copy by Théophile Hamel | 1856 | Oil on canvas |
| David William Smith | Théophile Hamel | 1859 | Oil on canvas |
| Alexander Macdonell | Copy by Théophile Hamel | 1854 | Oil on canvas |
| Levius Peters Sherwood | Copy by Théophile Hamel | 1855 | Oil on canvas |
| John Willson | Théophile Hamel | 1855 | Oil on canvas |
| Marshall Spring Bidwell | Théophile Hamel | 1854 | Oil on canvas |
| Archibald McLean | Théophile Hamel | 1854 | Oil on canvas |
| Sir Allan Napier MacNab[n 1] | Théophile Hamel | 1853 | Oil on canvas |
| Henry Ruttan | Théophile Hamel | 1856 | Oil on canvas |
| Austin Cuvillier | Copy by Théophile Hamel | 1856 | Oil on canvas |
| Augustin-Norbert Morin | Théophile Hamel | 1854 | Oil on canvas |
| John Sandfield Macdonald | Théophile Hamel | 1854 | Oil on canvas |
| Louis-Victor Sicotte | Théophile Hamel | 1855 | Oil on canvas |
| SirAllan MacNab | Théophile Hamel | 1862 | Oil on canvas |
| Joseph-Édouard Turcotte | Théophile Hamel | 1865 | Oil on canvas |
| Major GeneralJames Wolfe | Copy by Théophile Hamel | c. 1865 | Oil on canvas |
| Louis-Joseph de Montcalm | Copy by Théophile Hamel | c. 1865 | Oil on canvas |
| George Prevost | Copy by Théophile Hamel after Robert Field (c. 1808) | 1864 | Oil on canvas |
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