RUSSELL, George Horne
Born in Banff, Scotland, he studied at the Aberdeen School of Art, and the South Kensington School of London under Professor Legros and Sir George Reid. He came to Canada in 1889 on invitation. By 1900 he had done large canvases like “Kicking Horse Pass” for the C.P.R. this particular painting hung for many years at the Palliser Hotel, Calgary. He established a studio in Montreal where he painted portraits of many noted and well-to-do Canadians. He was a close friend of Sir William Van Horne who was himself a painter and patron of the arts. It was probably Van Horne along with other wealthy Montrealers who vacationed annually at St. Andrews, N.B., who persuaded Russell to locate a summer home and studio there. He then made many trips to sites along the east coast including Grand Manan Island, N.B.; coast line overlooking the Grand Manan Channel; Eastport and Monhegan, Maine; Lunenburg, N.S. and in and around St. Andrews. He painted many maritime scenes and also opened his studio for exhibitions of the work of local painters. He did many portraits of: businessmen, politicians, the military, lawyers, doctors, educationists, clergy, and the wives and children of many. He painted the majesty of the Rockies on huge canvases and some of his eastern seascapes were large too. He also painted many smaller genre scenes like “Boy Clam Digger”, “Farm Boy”, and “Oxen Ploughing”. In 1926 in Montreal he held his first one-man show at the Watson Art Gallery. Watson’s sold many of his seascapes to Montrealers and others. He was considered a major maritime painter. Over the years, his paintings were exhibited at the R.C.A. shows and the Art Association of Montreal Spring Shows right up to the year of his death. He also held office in the R.C.A. (Pres., 1922-26); Montreal Arts Club (Pres.); Pen and Pencil Club (Pres.). He exhibited with these societies and in exhibitions abroad. Although many of Russell’s paintings were in oils he also did water colours (especially before his arrival in Canada) and sketching media of charcoal, pencil and pen. As President of the R.C.A. he spearheaded efforts to have R.C.A. control over the choice of paintings for the 1924 British Empire Exhibit at Wembley but to no avail, even a boycott of R.C.A. members failed, as over half of the R.C.A. painters exhibited in the show including five members of Academy’s Council. That conÂtroversey finally passed a few years after Russell had completed his term in office. His notable portraits include: Dr. Frank D. Adams, Ph.D., Dean of A/Science, McGill U.; Edmond Dyonnet, R.C.A.; Dr. F.C. Harrison, Dean, Grad, Faculty, McGill U.; Sir Robt. Ashton Lister; Sir Wilfrid Laurier; F.W. Molson, Esq.; Russell’s own wife and daughter; self portraits; 2nd Lieut., Norman W. Russell; Donald A. Smith (Rt. Hon. Lord Strathcona, 1st Baron of Strathcona and Mount Royal); Miss Cairine Wilson (1918); Hon. Sen. Cairine Wilson (1930). Many of his seascapes are still in the hands of families of original New Brunswick owners in and around St. Andrews, Saint John, Fredericton, St. Stephen and probably many more in Montreal. He is represented in the following collections: NGC, Ott.; Glenbow-Alberta Inst., Calg.; AGO, Tor.; MMFA, Mtl.; Beaverbrook Art Gal., Fred., N.B.; Ross Memorial Museum, St. Andrews, N.B.; Town of St. Andrews, N.B.; Marjorie Wathem Aitken, Fred., N.B.; Miss Alice Coughey, St. Andrews, N.B.; Mr. J.H. Murphy, Fed., N.B.; and many others also Canadian Club, NYC. At the age of 72 while at his summer home and studio in St. Andrews, he took ill and died at the Chipman Memorial Hospital at St. Stephen, N.B. At the time of his death he was survived by his wife the former Elizabeth Morrison; a son Norman Wells Russell and a daughter, Mrs. A.J. Mackenzie of Detroit. A cross section of Russell’s paintings have turned up in the auction houses of Canada. In 1975 fifty-three of his paintings were exhibited at the Sunbury Shores Arts and Nature Centre, St. Andrews, N.B.
Colin S. MacDonald
A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, volumes 1-8 by Colin S. MacDonald, and volume 9 (online only), by Anne Newlands and Judith Parker
National Gallery of Canada / Musée des beaux-arts du Canada