Aaron Allan Edson (1846–1888) was one of Canada's most prominent landscape artists in the 1870s.

Biography

At nine, his family settled in Stanbridge, where his father ran a hotel. Nearby was a bank owned by John Carpenter Baker, a patron of the arts who helped start the careers of Edson and another local painter,

Wyatt Eaton Wyatt Eaton, baptised Charles Wyatt Eaton, (May 6, 1849 – June 7, 1896) was a Canadian-American portrait and figure painter, remembered as one of the founders of the Society of American Artists. Biography Born in Philipsburg, Quebec, Lower Ca ...

, by helping to pay for art lessons and buying their works."Allan Aaron Edson"
@ the ''

Dictionary of Canadian Biography The ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography'' (''DCB''; ) is a dictionary of biographical entries for individuals who have contributed to the history of Canada. The ''DCB'', which was initiated in 1959, is a collaboration between the University of Toro ...

'' online In addition to his art studies, Edson received a standard commercial education. In 1861, he moved to Montréal, where he worked as the bookkeeper for a frame maker and art dealer named Augustus Pell, who introduced him to local artists. Around 1863, he took lessons from Robert Scott Duncanson, an American painter who lived there during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. This was followed by two years in London, England, where he studied further. In London, he was influenced by the

Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB), later known as the Pre-Raphaelites, was a group of English painters, poets, and art critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossett ...

's propensity for detailed compositions. Upon his return, he became a founding members of the Society of Canadian Artists in 1867, the earliest Canadian professional body of artists, and participated in their first exhibition in 1868. He was also one of the original member of the

Ontario Society of Artists The Ontario Society of Artists (OSA) was founded in 1872. It is Canada's oldest continuously operating professional art society. When it was founded at the home of John Arthur Fraser, seven artists were present. Besides Fraser himself, Marmaduke ...

, founded in 1872, and 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 Victoria of the United Kingdom, Queen Victoria on 16 ...

, established in 1880 with Royal patronage. At one of their first exhibitions, some of his works were purchased by

Princess Louise Princess Louise may refer to: People * Louise of Denmark (disambiguation), various princesses * Louise of Prussia (disambiguation), various princesses * Louise of Saxe-Meiningen (disambiguation), various princesses * Princess Louise of Schleswig-H ...

for herself and her mother,

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

. He exhibited regularly throughout Canada. He also presented his works at the

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

in London, the

Paris Salon The Salon (), or rarely Paris Salon (French: ''Salon de Paris'' ), beginning in 1667 was the official art exhibition of the in Paris. Between 1748 and 1890 it was arguably the greatest annual or biennial art event in the Western world. At the ...

and two world's fairs: the

Centennial Exposition The Centennial International Exhibition, officially the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876. It was the first official wo ...

in Philadelphia and the Exposition Universelle in

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

. In the early 1880s, he went to live in France, spending most of his time in

Cernay-la-Ville Cernay-la-Ville () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in north-central France. Geography Location Cernay-la-Ville is located between Rambouillet a ...

, where he studied with Léon Germain Pelouse.Brief biography
in

The Canadian Encyclopedia ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; ) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with financial support by the federal Department of Canadian Heritage and Society of Com ...

by Joyce Zemans. From 1886 to 1887, he was in London, then returned to Canada, settling in Sutton, Québec. The following year, he died of complications from pneumonia, which he caught while on an expedition to paint winter scenes.Brief biography
@ the Galerie Walter Klinkhoff

Selected paintings

File:Allan Edson - The Coming Storm, Lake Memphremagog (1880).jpg, The Coming Storm at

Lake Memphremagog Lake Memphremagog (; , ) is a fresh water glacial lake located between Newport (city), Vermont, Newport, Vermont, United States and Magog, Quebec, Canada. The lake spans both Quebec and Vermont, but is mostly in Quebec. Most of the watershed th ...

File:Allan Edson - Bûcherons sur la rivière Saint-Maurice (1868).jpg, Lumberjacks on the

Saint-Maurice River The Saint-Maurice River (, ; ) is one of the main tributaries of the St. Lawrence River, after the Ottawa River, Ottawa and the Saguenay River, Saguenay Rivers and drains an area of 42,735 km2. It touches the Lac Saint-Jean, Lake Saint John waters ...

File:Allan Edson - Quebec Winter (18xx).jpg, Québec Winter File:Allan Edson - Rivière aux brochets (1864).jpg, The Pike River

References

External links

Arcadja Auctions: More works by Edson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edson, Allan 1846 births 1888 deaths Canadian landscape painters Artists from Quebec People from Estrie Anglophone Quebec people 19th-century Canadian painters Canadian male painters 19th-century Canadian male artists Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts

Biography

Selected paintings

References

Further reading

External links