Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

UNTITLED LANDSCAPE (KICKING HORSE RIVER, CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY) - EDITH KIRK

Date Range From

1919

Date Range To

1920

Materials

WATERCOLOUR, PAPER

No. Pieces

1

Height

21.5

Length

36

Description

UNFRAMED WATERCOLOUR PAINTING DEPICTING A RIVER LINED BY GREEN GRASSES AT LEFT AND DARK, FORESTED HILLS AT RIGHT. SNOW-CAPPED MOUNTAINS IN BACKGROUND UNDER A CLOUDY SKY. SIGNED “E F KIRK” AT BOTTOM RIGHT. PAPER IS SLIGHTLY YELLOWED ALONG EDGES WITH SOME SPOTS OF DISCOLOURATION VISIBLE AT UPPER CENTRE. OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. THE FRAME THIS ARTWORK ARRIVED IN WAS IN POOR CONDITION AND DISCARDED. A DISCOLOURED, TYPED LABEL WAS REMOVED FROM ITS BACKING PAPER AND SAVED TO BE ATTACHED TO THE ARTWORK'S NEW MATTE. THE LABEL READS "THIS VIEW IS AT FIELD, B.C. ON THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY, LOOKING WEST. THE RIVER IS 'THE KICKING HORSE RIVER.' MOUNTAINS - 'THE VAN HORNE RANGE,' NAMED AFTER SIR WILLIAM VAN HORNE, OF THE C.P.R. THE PEAK AT THE EXTREME RIGHT IS MOUNT KING."

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON EDITH KIRK, THE ARTIST, WAS DEVELOPED BY GALT CURATOR WENDY AITKENS IN PREPARATION FOR THE 2015 KIRK EXHIBIT AT THE GALT MUSEUM: "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 PRESENTING 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 TO 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." EDITH KIRK PASSED AWAY IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1953. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE OTHER KIRK DONATIONS, INCLUDING: P19820004000, P19960095000, P20090016*, P20140012*, P20140020*, P20140021000, P20150008000, P20150019000, P20150024000, P20150029000, AND P20150030000. SEE ALSO, "A LEGACY OF ADVENTURE AND ART: THE LIFE OF MISS EDITH FANNY KIRCK" BY WENDY AITKENS. ALSO SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20140021000

Acquisition Date

2015-02

Collection

Museum

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