Edwin Holgate
Encyclopedia
Edwin Holgate was a Canadian
artist, painter and engraver. Holgate played a major role in Montreal's art community, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
, where he both studied and taught. He was known primarily as a portrait
ist and for a number of female nudes in outdoor settings that he painted during the 1930s.
Holgate's family moved to Jamaica
in 1895 where his father worked as an engineer. In 1897 he was sent to Toronto
to go to school. In 1901 his family returned from Jamaica and settled in Montreal.
Holgate studied at the Art Association of Montreal under William Brymner
(who also taught A. Y. Jackson
) and later Maurice Cullen. In 1912 he studied in Paris
. He was travelling in the Ukraine
at the outset of World War I
, and was forced to cross Asia
to return to Canada. He returned to France
with the Canadian Army.
Holgate's first exhibition was held at the Arts Club of Montreal in 1922. He taught wood engraving at the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal
from 1928 to 1934.
Holgate was considered the "eighth" member of the Group of Seven
— he was invited to join the group in 1930. In 1935 he was elected associate of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
.
He worked as a war artist in England
during World War II
. On his return to Montreal after the war, he found that the arts scene had changed, with the arrival of the Automatistes
. He left Montreal to live in the Laurentians.
The National Gallery of Canada
held a retrospective of his work in 1975. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts organized another retrospective in 2005.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
artist, painter and engraver. Holgate played a major role in Montreal's art community, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is a major museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1860, making it Canada's oldest art institution, it moved to its current location in 1912 thanks to a large donation from businessman James Ross....
, where he both studied and taught. He was known primarily as a portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
ist and for a number of female nudes in outdoor settings that he painted during the 1930s.
Holgate's family moved to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
in 1895 where his father worked as an engineer. In 1897 he was sent to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
to go to school. In 1901 his family returned from Jamaica and settled in Montreal.
Holgate studied at the Art Association of Montreal under William Brymner
William Brymner
William Brymner, CMG was a Canadian art teacher and a figure and landscape painter.-Early years:Born in Greenock, Scotland, the son of Douglas Brymner the first Dominion Archivist and Jean Thomson, he moved with his family to Melbourne, Lower Canada in 1857. In 1864, his family moved to Montreal...
(who also taught A. Y. Jackson
A. Y. Jackson
Alexander Young Jackson, was a Canadian painter and a founding member of the Group of Seven.- Early life and training :...
) and later Maurice Cullen. In 1912 he studied in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He was travelling in the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
at the outset of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and was forced to cross Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
to return to Canada. He returned to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with the Canadian Army.
Holgate's first exhibition was held at the Arts Club of Montreal in 1922. He taught wood engraving at the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal
École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal
École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal was an educational institution founded in Quebec in 1922. The Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society was instrumental in its creation....
from 1928 to 1934.
Holgate was considered the "eighth" member of the Group of Seven
Group of Seven (artists)
The Group of Seven, sometimes known as the Algonquin school, were a group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920-1933, originally consisting of Franklin Carmichael , Lawren Harris , A. Y. Jackson , Franz Johnston , Arthur Lismer , J. E. H. MacDonald , and Frederick Varley...
— he was invited to join the group in 1930. In 1935 he was elected associate of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts is a Canadian arts-related institution founded in 1880, under the patronage of the Governor General of Canada, Sir John Douglas Sutherland Campbell, the Marquess of Lorne. Canadian landscape painter Homer Watson was a member and president of the Academy...
.
He worked as a war artist in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. On his return to Montreal after the war, he found that the arts scene had changed, with the arrival of the Automatistes
Les Automatistes
Les Automatistes were a group of Québécois artistic dissidents from Montreal, Quebec. The movement was founded in the early 1940s by painter Paul-Émile Borduas. "Les Automatistes" were so called because they were influenced by Surrealism and its theory of automatism...
. He left Montreal to live in the Laurentians.
The National Gallery of Canada
National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada , located in the capital city Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's premier art galleries.The Gallery is now housed in a glass and granite building on Sussex Drive with a notable view of the Canadian Parliament buildings on Parliament Hill. The acclaimed structure was...
held a retrospective of his work in 1975. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts organized another retrospective in 2005.