George Théodore Berthon
George Théodore Berthon RCA (3 May 1806 – 18 January 1892) was a painter from France.
George Théodore Berthon | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 May 1806 Royal Palace of Vienna |
| Died | 18 January 1892 (aged 85) |
| Nationality | France |
| Education | Paris, France. He likely was trained by his father who is said to have been a student of Jacques Louis David |
| Known for | Canadian portraiture |
| Movement | Victorian tradition |
Biography
Berthon's father, René Théodore Berthon, was a court painter to Napoleon I, and likely trained his son in art. As well, his knowledge of art in Paris would have been significant: his father was a student of Jacques Louis David.[1] As an adult he lived in England for a number of years in the household of Sir Robert Peel to teach Peel's daughters drawing and French.[2] The first verifiable record of his immigration to Canada is an advertisement for his portraiture services in a Toronto newspaper in 1845.
Berthon was notable in the history of Canada for his creation of formal portraits characterized by a sense of realism. He focused on defining his subjects' features and characters without idealization. The composition of his portraits remains simple with dark backgrounds. His work is important both as a historical record and as an example of the style of Canadian portraiture during that period.
He was nominated as a founding member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts[3] but failed to qualify.[2] He was elected a life member of the Ontario Society of Artists in 1891.[2]
He died of a bronchial infection, at his Toronto home, in 1892.[1]
Paintings
George Théodore Berthon's Colonel John Graves Simcoe
George Théodore Berthon's Sir John Colborne, GCB, GCMG (Baron Seaton) Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, 1828–36
George Theodore Berthon's George Murray (British Army officer), Governor of Upper Canada, 1815
George Theodore Berthon's Sir John Beverley Robinson
George Theodore Berthon's Peregrine Maitland
George Theodore Berthon's Gen Isaac Brock c. 1883
George Theodore Berthon's Lieutenant Governor Frederick Philipse Robinson, Upper Canada, 1815
George Theodore Berthon's Francis Gore
George Theodore Berthon's Lieutenant Governor Henry William Stisted of Ontario, 1867–68
George Theodore Berthon's Peter Russell (politician) President and Admin of Upper Canada, 1796–99, ca 1882
George Theodore Berthon's Lieutenant Governor Gordon Drummond of Ontario
George Theodore Berthon's Edmund Walker Head
References
- Lowrey, Carol. "George Theodore Berthon". www.biographi.ca. Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 12, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
- Bradfield 1970, p. 27–29.
- Records of the Founding of the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts. Toronto: Globe Printing Co. 1879–80. p. 16.
Bibliography
- Bradfield, Helen (1970). Permanent Collection. Toronto: McGraw Hill. ISBN 0070925046. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
