THURSTAN TOPHAM “THE RED CHIMNEY ONTARIO ST” 1925

THURSTAN TOPHAM (CANADIAN/BRITISH, 1888–1966)
OIL ON CANVAS PANEL, SIGNED UPPER LEFT
A SIGNIFICANT INTERWAR CANADIAN URBAN WINTER LANDSCAPE DEPICTS A SNOW-LADEN HISTORIC DWELLING ON ONTARIO STREET IN MONTREAL
8 X 10 IN
12.5 X 14.5 IN FRAMED
VERSO RETAINS A HISTORICALLY VALUABLE ORIGINAL PAPER EXHIBITION LABEL FROM THE ART ASSOCIATION OF MONTREAL 42ND SPRING EXHIBITION (1925) DOCUMENTING THE ARTIST’S ADDRESS AT “533 PHILLIPS SQUARE, MONTREAL,” THE DUAL TITLES, AND AN ORIGINAL EXHIBITION PRICE OF $35.00,
ALSO RETAINS A VINTAGE STICKER FOR ANTOINE’S ART GALLERY (950 VICTORIA SQUARE, MONTREAL) ON THE LOWER RAIL
CONDITION: THE FRAME’S ORNATE GESSO/PLASTER MOLDING DISPLAYS PROMINENT STRUCTURAL CHIPPING AND LOSS.
BORN IN ENGLAND IN 1888, WILLIAM THURSTON TOPHAM INITIALLY TRAINED IN ARCHITECTURE BEFORE IMMIGRATING TO MONTREAL, CANADA, IN 1911. AFTER SERVING IN WORLD WAR I AS AN ARMY ARTIST PRODUCING TOPOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, HE SHIFTED HIS FOCUS ENTIRELY TO PAINTING, EVENTUALLY GAINING WIDESPREAD RECOGNITION FOR HIS VIVID LAURENTIAN LANDSCAPES. HE BECAME CLOSELY INTEGRATED INTO MONTREAL’S MODERN ART SCENE THROUGH HIS ASSOCIATION AND EXHIBITIONS WITH THE BEAVER HALL GROUP DURING THE EARLY 1920S. TOPHAM SPENT THE REMAINDER OF HIS CAREER TEACHING SKETCHING, EXECUTING LARGE-SCALE CORPORATE MURALS, AND EXHIBITING WITH MAJOR INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE ROYAL CANADIAN ACADEMY OF ARTS UNTIL HIS PASSING IN 1966.