Coburn, Frederick Simpson (Canadian, 1871-1960) Sleigh in Winter. Oil on canvas painting. Signed and dated lower left “F.S. Coburn ’29?” Has brass tag on front marked “F.S. Coburn RCA.” In good condition, restored and relined years ago. Painting measures 16” x 19”. Frame measures 26” x 29”.

From Askart: Frederick Simpson Coburn was a painter, illustrator, photographer, etcher, and dancer born and died in Upper Melbourne, Quebec (about 90 miles southeast of Montreal). From about 1890 until 1916, he lived in Europe, most of that time in Antwerp, Holland. When he returned to Canada, he maintained homes in Upper Melbourne and in Montreal. His mediums were oil, pastel, pencil, watercolor, graphite, crayon, photography, and etching. His subjects were winter scenes, horses, logging, landscapes (mostly of Quebec, however, there are some from his travels in Europe), genre, still life, portraits, figures, nudes, and dancers. Starting in about 1898, under contract to Putnam Publishing (New York), he did illustrations for books, including ones by Washington Irving, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Robert Browning, and Canadian poet William H. Drummond. Many of his illustrations up to 1914 were done in black and white oils. His style was impressionist. He studied at the Council of Arts and Manufactures School in Montreal (1887-1888) under C.S. Stevenson; at the Carl Hecker School of Art in New York City (1899); at the Royal Academy in Berlin (1890) under Franz Skarbina and Julius Ehrentraut; at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris (1892) under Jean Leon Gerome; at the Slade School in London under Henry Tonks; and at the Institut Suprieur des Beaux-Arts in Antwerp (1897) under Albrecht de (Albert) Vriendt. He was fluent in French, German, Dutch, and Flemish. In addition to his schooling, he also traveled extensively in Europe. His associates and acquaintances in Europe included Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the Maris brothers and Johann Hendrik de Weissenbruch. His associates in Canada included Clarence Gagnon, Marc-Aurle de Foy Suzor-Cot, James Morrice and Maurice Cullen. He exhibited with the Royal Canadian Academy from 1904 to 1954, with the Art Association of Montreal from 1906 to 1944, and at the Tate Gallery (London) "A Century of Canadian Art" exhibition (1938). A painting of his was also included in the 1995 - 1996 National Gallery of Canada (traveling) exhibition titled "The Group of Seven: Art for a Nation". During his life he was one of the most successful artists in Canada. It is said he didn't have solo exhibitions because his paintings sold so quickly he never had enough on hand to supply one. Among his awards are an Honorary Doctor of Civil Law from Bishop's University (Lennoxville, Quebec) and the Art Association of Montreal's Jessie Dow Prize (considered one of the most prestigious art awards in Canada). His works are avidly collected and he ranks in the top 100 of highest prices for Canadian artists at auction. Public collections include the Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto) and the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa).