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John David Kelly (artist)

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John David Kelly
Born(1862-10-15)October 15, 1862
Gore's Landing, Ontario
DiedDecember 27, 1958(1958-12-27) (aged 96)
Toronto
EducationOntario School of Art, later known as OCAD, Toronto
Known forpainting, printmaking, artist-illustrator
SpouseAlice Bigelow (m. 1886)

John David Kelly (October 15, 1862 – December   27, 1958)[1] who signed his work J. D. Kelly was an "enormously popular"[2] painter, printmaker and artist-illustrator known for the series of calendar illustrations he did for the Confederation Life Association, depicting great moments in Canadian history. He researched his historical paintings with such accuracy[3] that he has been described by the Toronto Globe & Mail as a reconstructor rather than a painter of historical scenes.[2] His work “made history more real to hundreds and thousands of Canadians”.[2]

Biography

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Keley was born at Gore's Landing, Ontario on the south shore of Rice Lake.[3] In 1878, he enrolled at the Ontario School of Art, later known as OCAD, studying with Marmaduke Matthews, John Arthur Fraser and Henri Perré, becoming a gold medalist in 1881[4] and graduating in 1882.[5]

From 1882 to 1885, he worked for the Grip Lithographing firm, then joined the Toronto Lithographing Company, the largest and most advanced lithography firm in the city (it became Rolph-Clark-Stone Ltd),[6][7] and spent 70 years with the company as its premier calendar artist, retiring in 1955.[3]

He was one of the founders of the Toronto Art Students' League and contributed to its calendars.[8][9] He was commissioned by the C.P.R to make illustrated maps[4] and in 1911 and 1929, the C.P.R. commissioned him to travel across Canada o to record images of the country.[5]

He exhibited his paintings at the Ontario Society of Artists exhibitions, where he was elected a member (1895-1912),[10] in the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts,[11] the Art Association of Montreal,[12] Montreal Art Club[13] and the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo (1901).[4]

Push on, brave York volunteers(large)

His series of historical paintings are in the collection of Confederation Life (28 works) (now Rogers Communications),[a] the Art Gallery of Ontario,[5] the McCord Stewart Museum in Montreal,[15] the Toronto Public Library[16] and Library and Archives Canada which has Push On, brave York volunteers (1896) and also has his fonds.[17] 13 of the prints of the paintings owned by Confederation Life are owned by the Cobourg Museum Foundation.[18] Lithographs are also in the collection of Bridgeman Images.[19] Two murals by Kelly are owned by the Royal York Hotel.[12] There is a heritage plaque in Warkworth that recognizes his life and work as a historical artist.[20]

Notes

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  1. ^ It is called the "Gallery of Canadian History" and has been shown throughout Canada, the United States, and in London, England; appeared on Confederation's annual calendars, and in booklets for many different groups, art classes, and historical societies.[14]

Personal life

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One of Kelly’s feet was crushed in a logging accident as a young man.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Artists". app.pch.gc.ca. Government of Canada. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Obituary, Globe and Mail, Toronto, Dec. 29, 1958, Artist's file at the Art Gallery of Ontario Edward P. Taylor Library & Archives, Toronto.
  3. ^ a b c "Article". Globe and Mail, Toronto, Nov. 15, 1955, Artist's file at the Art Gallery of Ontario Edward P. Taylor Library & Archives, Toronto. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  4. ^ a b c ”Fine Historical Picture by Aged Toronto Painter Called for Much Research”, Toronto Telegram, 26 June 1943, Artist's file at the Art Gallery of Ontario Edward P. Taylor Library & Archives, Toronto.
  5. ^ a b c Bradfield, Helen (1970). Art Gallery of Ontario. The Canadian Collection. Toronto: McGraw-Hill. p. 227. ISBN 0070925046. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  6. ^ "Article". phsc.ca. Photographic Historical Society of Canada. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  7. ^ Jefferys, C.W. (2017). ""Reminiscences of Old Litho. Life". (unpublished holograph ms. relating to period 1885–1890). From the From "The Old Litho Life" to "Never a Day without a Line" / De l'atelier de lithographie traditionnel à celui où il ne se passe " pas un jour sans un trait " by Robert Stacey". National Gallery of Canada Journal. 8 (June): 99–134. doi:10.3138/ngcr.8.005. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  8. ^ Stacey, Robert. "Article:Art-illustration". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  9. ^ C. M. Manly, "The Toronto Art Students’ League: A Brief Chronicle," n.d. (after 1913), holograph ms., Ontario Society of Artists Papers, Archives of Ontario, Toronto.
  10. ^ Murray, Joan. "Ontario Society of Artists: 100 Years". Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 1972, p.63. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  11. ^ McMann, Evelyn (1981). Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  12. ^ a b c Russell, Clive. "JDKelly" (PDF). cliverussell.com. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  13. ^ "Painter of Scenes in Canadian History", Globe and Mail, Toronto, 28 Dec. 1958.
  14. ^ A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, volumes 1-8 by Colin S. MacDonald, and volume 9 (online only), by Anne Newlands and Judith Parker National Gallery of Canada / Musée des beaux-arts du Canada
  15. ^ "Collection". collections.musee-mccord-stewart.ca. McCord Museum, Montreal. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  16. ^ "Collection". digitalarchive.tpl.ca. TPL. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  17. ^ "Collection". recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca. Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  18. ^ "Collection". vitacollections.ca. Cobourg Museum Foundation. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  19. ^ "Collection". www.bridgemanimages.com. Bridgeman Images. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  20. ^ "Article". www.heritagetrust.on.ca/plaques. Heritage Trust. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
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