Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

THE GARDENER

Date

1879

Materials

CANVAS, OIL

No. Pieces

1

Length

60.0

Width

50.0

Description

OIL PAINTING ON STRETCHED CANVAS. PAINTING IS UNTITLED, BUT KNOWN AS "THE GARDENER". PICTURE DEPICTS HEAD AND SHOULDERS SEMI-FULL FACED PORTRAIT OF A MAN IN JACKET AND SWEATER OR MUFFLER. HANDS ARE CLASPED IN FRONT OF CHEST. WRITTEN ON THE BACK ON ONE EDGE IS "M.S. BANKS" (ARTIST). STAMPED ON BACK AT CENTER "GEORGE ROWNEY & CO. LONDON" UNFRAMED.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

PAINTING DONATED BY ARTIST'S SON OSWALD KERFOOT DAVIES. ARTIST, MRS. NINA SUSAN DAVIES (NEE BANKS), WAS BORN 1862 IN WOLVERHAMPTON, STAFFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND. SHE WAS RAISED IN A PROSPEROUS FAMILY WHICH OPERATED THE “BANKS BREWERY” IN WOLVERHAMPTON. MRS. DAVIES PAINTED ACTIVELY BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 AND HER LATE 20'S/ EARLY 30'S, CORRESPONDING WITH THE DATE OF HER MARRIAGE 1889/90. THIS ARTWORK WAS GENERATED AT HER FAMILY'S RESIDENCE IN 1879 AND DEPICTS HER FAMILY'S GARDNER. IT IS PRESUMED THAT SHE HAD SOME FORMAL ART TRAINING AND WON AWARDS, BUT SHE NEVER PAINTED AFTER BECOMING MARRIED. ARTIST'S DAUGHTER EMMIGRATED IMMEDIATELY AFTER WWI TO MOOSEJAW, HAVING MARRIED A CANADIAN SOLDIER IN WALES. DAUGHTER'S LONESOMENESS IN MOOSEJAW COMPELLED THE BANKS FAMILY, INCLUDING THE ARTIST AND HER SON OSWALD KERFOOT (O.K.), TO EMMIGRATE TO MOOSEJAW. THE PAINTING IS PRESUMED TO HAVE TRAVELLED TO CANADA WITH NINA. O.K. DAVIES MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE APPROXIMATELY 1925. NINA PASSED AWAY IN 1952 AND THE PAINTING IS PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN INHERITED BY OSWALD WHO THEN BROUGHT IT TO LETHBRIDGE. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. SHE WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY NEW INFORMATION ON THE PAINTER, NINA DAVIES, BUT DID FIND FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT HER SON, THE DONOR, O.K. DAVIES AND HIS LIFE IN LETHBRIDGE IN VARIOUS ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. BY 1929 O.K. HAD MARRIED BERTHA MATTHEWS, AND THEY HAD FIVE CHILDREN. HE WORKED FOR THE C.P.R. FOR OVER 30 YEARS AS A TIMEKEEPER BEFORE HIS DEATH ON DECEMBER 1, 1979. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARD COPIES OF LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES ON THE DONOR.

Catalogue Number

P19694286000

Acquisition Date

1979-07

Collection

Museum

Less detail