Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

LANDSCAPE OF YORK ENGLAND - EDITH KIRK

Date

1892

Materials

WATERCOLOUR, PAPER

No. Pieces

1

Length

40

Width

25

Description

NINETEENTH CENTURY WATERCOLOUR STREET SCENE ON PAPER. DEPICTS TWO WAGONS, TWO HORSES AND THREE PEOPLE ON COBBLESTONE ROAD NEAR MONK BAR, YORK. FRONT SIDE PERIPHERY OF WORK HAS ACID BURN AND BOTH GOLD AND SILVER RESIDUE FROM PREVIOUS ACIDIC MATTING. ORIGINAL COLOURS AROUND THE PERIPERHY HAVE BEEN PRESERVED WHILE AREA EXPOSED BY MATT WINDOW IS FADED AND TINTED BROWN. ACID BURN FROM ADHESIVE USED TO FIX WORK TO PREVIOUS MATT IS EVIDENT ACROSS TOP 2.5-3 CM. SIGNED AT BOTTOM LEFT CORNER IN GREY, “YORK. E.F.KIRK. 1892.” BACK HAS HANDWRITTEN CURSIVE INSCRIPTION IN GRAPHITE THAT READS, “WHITE + GOLD + BRONZE FORT.” EDGES HAVE ORANGE/BROWN RESIDUE DEPOSITED BY ADHESIVE.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

PAINTING WAS PURCHASED FROM ABBEY ANTIQUES' ONLINE STORE VIA EBAY.CA AT THE RECOMMENDATION OF GALT CURATOR WENDY AITKENS. STORE IS PHYSICALLY LOCATED AT LYDE COURT, HEREFORD, HR1 3AE, ENGLAND. SCENE WAS PAINTED AT A LOCATION SOUTH-WEST OF MONK BAR (OR MONKGATE BAR) IN YORK, ENGLAND IN 1892 BY EDITH KIRK. CURATOR WENDY AITKENS DID SOME RESEARCH ON ARTIST EDITH FANNY KIRK (1859 - 1953) AND CONTINUES TO SEARCH FOR MORE ANSWERS ABOUT THE LIFE OF THIS WOMAN. IN JUNE 2011, WENDY AIKENS WROTE THE FOLLOWING FOR A BLOG POST REGARDING EDITH KIRK. "FOR 35 YEARS, LETHBRIDGE WAS THE HOME OF AN ACCOMPLISHED AND WELL KNOWN ARTIST AND ART TEACHER. EDITH FANNY KIRK, OR MISS KIRK AS MOST PEOPLE CALLED HER, CREATED WATER COLOUR LANDSCAPES OF ENGLAND, VANCOUVER, LETHBRIDGE, WATERTON, BANFF, AND JASPER. SHE TAUGHT MANY CHILDREN AND ADULTS THE SKILLS OF PAINTING. SHE ALSO SPOKE AT THE MATHESIS CLUB PERSENTING PAPERS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN ART, THE EVOLUTION OF ART AND ART APPRECIATION. JOAN STEBBINS, PAST CURATOR AT THE SAAG, CREDITS THE INFLUENCE OF MISS KIRK FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH (NOW ARTISTS') CLUB IN THE 1930S. WHEN MISS KIRK ARRIVED IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1918, SHE WAS 60 YEARS OLD. SHE WAS BORN IN 1858 AND WAS RAISED IN YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND. HER MOTHER, FANNY (NEE MAUGHAM) PASSED AWAY WHEN EDITH WAS A YOUNG GIRL AND HER FATHER REMARRIED. THE STORY, FROM SECOND HAND SOURCES, WAS THAT SHE AND HER STEP MOTHER DID NOT LIKE ONE ANOTHER. THIS PROVIDED TO BE A BLESSING IN DISGUISE BECAUSE EDITH WAS SENT AWAY TO STUDY ART. EDITH STUDIED IN SOUTH KENSINGTON, LONDON AND PARIS. DURING HER SUMMERS SHE JOINED ARTIST'S COLONIES IN CORNWALL, WALES AND YORKSHIRE. SHE WROTE OF IMPRESSIONIST PAUL CEZANNE BEING HER "MODEL AND INSPIRATION" AND SHE GREATLY ADMIRED ROMANTIC ARTIST JOHN SELL COTMAN. KIRK NEVER MARRIED AND, FOR SOME REASON, SHE DECIDED TO IMMIGRATE TO CANADA AT THE AGE OF 46. SHE ARRIVED IN HALIFAX ABOARD THE HMS CANADA IN APRIL 1905. THE PASSENGER LIST INDICATED SHE WAS TRAVELING ON TO VANCOUVER AND HER OCCUPATION WAS LISTED AS A GOVERNESS. IT SEEMS SHE DIDN'T STAY LONG IN VANCOUVER BUT SOON TRAVELLED TO ATLIN, B.C. TO GET TO ATLIN, KIRK WOULD HAVE TAKEN A SHIP TO SKAGWAY, THE WHITE PASS RAILWAY TO CARCROSS AND THEN AN OVERLAND AND BOAT TRIP TO ATLIN. IT IS A MYSTERY WHY SHE CHOSE TO GO TO A REMOTE GOLD RUSH TOWN IN NORTH WESTERN BRITISH COLUMBIA. NEXT WE FIND KIRK, IN 1911, BOARDING WITH THE WOODS FAMILY IN LILLOOET, NORTHWEST OF KAMLOOPS, B.C. THERE SHE IS A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER. SEVEN YEARS LATER EDITH KIRK IS IN LETHBRIDGE. IT SEEMS SHE KNEW PEOPLE LIVING IN TABER, DR. ALFRED HAMMAN AND HIS SISTER MRS. SYLVIA GIDMAN, WHO CAME FROM HER HOMELAND IN ENGLAND SO CHOSE VISIT. THE CHARM OF THE PRAIRIE AND MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPES OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA ENTICED HER TO STAY. MISS KIRK LIVED IN THE VICTORIA MANSION AND THE TRAVELLER'S AID SOCIETY BUILDING AND SHE TAUGHT ART CLASSES AT THE YMCA FOR A FEW DOLLARS A MONTH." FOR PAPERS WRITTEN AND PRESENTED BY MISS EDITH KIRK TO MEMBERS OF THE MATHESIS CLUB OF LETHBRIDGE BETWEEN 1933 AND 1937, SEE ARCHIVAL DONATION 19951042000. THE PAPERS DISCUSS THE EVOLUTION OF ART, MODERN ART, HOW ARTISTS DEVELOP PAINTINGS AND ART APPRECIATION. FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING CONSERVATION REPORT UPON ARRIVAL, SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20110037000

Acquisition Date

2011-12

Collection

Museum

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