John McArthur (artist and merchant)

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John McArthur
1869 John McArthur, Montreal, QC (I-41589.1).jpg
Born1814
Died(1903-05-05)May 5, 1903
Resting place Mount Royal Cemetery
NationalityBritish / Canadian

John McArthur, born in 1814 in Hamilton, Scotland, United Kingdom, and died on May 5, 1903, in Montreal, Canada, was a British-born Canadian artist, house and commercial painter and decorator, businessman, and merchant.

Contents

As a painter, John McArthur was primarily a landscape painter, a follower of the Barbizon School. He was also one of the first members of the Art Association of Montreal.

Biography

John McArthur was born in 1814 in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. [1] After practicing his craft as a painter and house painter, notably in the cities of Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Belfast, he decided to emigrate to Montreal, Canada, in 1845. In 1846, he entered into partnership with Alexander Ramsay, a paint, oil, and varnish dealer, with whom he offered complementary services, including house painting, decorative painting, glazier, and upholsterer. During the 1850s, Ramsay and McArthur hired British glassmaker John C. Spence to offer stained glass and glass enameling services. Together, they notably oversaw the manufacture of stained glass windows for the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Church in Montreal in 1853. [2] On December 1, 1854, the firm of Ramsay and McArthur was dissolved by mutual consent. [3]

From 1855 to 1860, John McArthur continued to offer his services as a house & commercial painter and decorator and upholsterer. [4] He opened a shop at "70 Grande rue Saint-Jacques" on May 1, 1856. In 1858, he designed the decoration of the Theatre Royal in Montreal. [5] On May 12, 1860, he joined forces with his former glassmaker colleague John C. Spence. [6] During the royal visit of Prince Edward of Wales in 1860, McArthur and Spence designed and decorated at least six of the temporary triumphal arches erected in the city of Montreal, [7] the temporary ballroom building [8] and the residence of the Honorable John Rose which was used as Prince Edward's temporary residence in Montreal. [9]

Around 1862, John McArthur ended his partnership with John C. Spence, and decided to partner with his own son, John C. McArthur. In 1866, McArthur & Son painted the ceiling decorations of a store at the corner of St-Jaques and Place Victoria. [10] In 1867, the firm painted the ceiling decorations of the Merchants' Bank building at Place d'Armes. [11] In 1872, the firm may also have painted the ballroom of Ravenscrag in Montreal. In this regard, his paintings "beautified many Montreal residences." [1] In 1882, he retired and his son took over the management of the firm and went into partnership with C. C. Corneille, under the name McArthur, Corneille & Co., until 1900. [12] [13] John McArthur died on May 5, 1903, in Montreal, Canada. [1]

McArthur and the artists

Throughout his career, John McArthur surrounded himself with artists to fulfill his various contracts. His presence in Montreal's artistic community allowed him to select talented artists. For example, he was one of the first members of the Art Association of Montreal. [14]

Here is a non-exhaustive list of artists who worked with John McArthur:

Exhibitions and distinctions

As a painter, John McArthur was essentially a landscape painter, a follower of the Barbizon School. [1] Moreover, during his retirement in the 1880s, he went to Barbizon and Cernay-la-Ville several times to meet other artists of this artistic movement and perfect his art. [1] Canadian landscapes were the main subject of the paintings he exhibited during his life, but not only.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of exhibitions at which John McArthur or one of his firms exhibited works:

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Mr. John M'Arthur dies after a long sickness. Retired Montreal Merchant Was Prominent in His Time in Business and Artistic Circles". The Montreal daily herald and daily commercial gazette (Newspaper). Vol. 95, no. 105 (The Herald Publishing Company ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. May 6, 1903. p. 2.
  2. "Painted Glass". Montreal Herald and Daily Commercial Gazette (Newspaper). Vol. 45, no. 183 (Robert Weir ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. September 30, 1853. p. 2.
  3. "Dissolution of Co-Partnership. Ramsay & McArthur". Montreal Herald and Daily Commercial Gazette (Newspaper). Vol. 46, no. 251 (Robert Weir ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. December 9, 1854. p. 3.
  4. "John McArthur. House, Sign, and Ornemental Painter, Glazier, Paper-Hanger, &c". Montreal Herald and Daily Commercial Gazette (Newspaper). Vol. 47, no. 175 (Robert Weir ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. July 26, 1855. p. 1.
  5. 1 2 "Opening of the Theatre Royal". Montreal Herald and Daily Commercial Gazette (Newspaper). Vol. 50, no. 126 (Robert Weir ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. May 31, 1858. p. 2.
  6. 1 2 "Co-Partnership Notice: McArthur & Spence". Montreal Herald and Daily Commercial Gazette (Newspaper). Vol. 52, no. 115 (Robert Weir ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. May 14, 1860. p. 2.
  7. "Visit of The Prince of Wales to Montreal. The Six Triumphal Arches". Montreal Herald and Daily Commercial Gazette (Newspaper). Vol. 52, no. 199 (Robert Weir ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. August 20, 1860. p. 2.
  8. "The interior of the Building (The Ball-Room Building)". Montreal Herald and Daily Commercial Gazette (Newspaper). Vol. 52, no. 191 (Robert Weir ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. August 10, 1860. p. 2.
  9. "The Montreal Residence of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales". Montreal Herald and Daily Commercial Gazette (Newspaper). Vol. 52, no. 196 (Robert Weir ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. August 16, 1860. p. 2.
  10. "Midnight Dispatches. New Dry Goods Store". Montreal Herald and Daily Commercial Gazette (Newspaper). Vol. 58, no. 78 (Robert Weir ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. April 2, 1866. p. 2.
  11. "Progress of Montreal (Illustrated Edition). Merchants' Bank". Montreal Herald and Daily Commercial Gazette (Newspaper). Vol. 59, no. (Double Sheet) (Robert Weir ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. March 1, 1867. p. 6.
  12. "Paints. Montreal, Que". Oil, Paint and Drug Reporter (Newspaper). Vol. 22, no. 2 (William O. Allison ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. July 12, 1882. p. 61.
  13. "Extra: Renseignements commerciaux: Province de Québec. Dissolution de sociétés". Le Prix courant: journal du commerce (Newspaper) (in French). Vol. 28, no. 5 (Compagnie de Publication des marchands détailleurs du Canada Limitée ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. May 4, 1900. p. 365.
  14. The Act of incorporation (23d Vic., cap. 13) and the by-laws. Montreal (QC), Canada: M. Longmoore & Co., Gazette Steam Press. January 4, 1864. p. 45. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  15. Little information is known, however, about the professional relationship between Francis Pedretti and John McArthur.
  16. "Fresco Painting. Interior Decoration of Dwellings, Churches & Public Buildings (F. Pedretti)". Montreal Herald and Daily Commercial Gazette (Newspaper). Vol. 53, no. 128 (Robert Weir ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. May 29, 1861. p. 2.
  17. Like his colleague John McArthur, he also exhibited works at the Art Association of Montreal during his life as an amateur painter.
  18. "Mechanics' Festival. Catalogue of articles exhibited at the eighth annual festival of the Montreal Mechanics' Institute, February 5, 1850". The Quebec Gazette (Newspaper). Vol. 86, no. 7235 (printed by Brown & Gilmore ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. February 16, 1850. p. 1.
  19. "List of persons who have been adjudged to receive prizes and diplomas at the Industrial Exhibition". The Quebec Mercury (Newspaper). Vol. 88, no. 7360 (Josiah Blackburn & George T. Cary ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. October 28, 1850. p. 1.
  20. "Provincial Exhibition. PART II, Section 8: Fine Arts". Montreal Herald and Daily Commercial Gazette (Supplement) (Newspaper). Vol. 45, no. 192 (Robert Weir ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. October 11, 1853. p. 1.
  21. "Fine Arts. Catalogue of Oil Paintings on Exhibition on Bonaventure Hall". Montreal Herald and Daily Commercial Gazette (Newspaper). Vol. 49, no. 195 (Robert Weir ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. August 18, 1857. p. 2.
  22. "Fine Arts. Catalogue of Oil Paintings on Exhibition on Bonaventure Hall (Continued)". Montreal Herald and Daily Commercial Gazette (Newspaper). Vol. 49, no. 196 (Robert Weir ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. August 19, 1857. p. 2.
  23. "Provincial Exhibition. Board of Arts - Prize List - (Continued) -- Class VII". The Daily Witness (Newspaper). Vol. 1, no. 51 (John Dougall ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. October 12, 1860. p. 2.
  24. "Exposition Provinciale. Liste des prix (Département Industriel, 2e classe, Section A)". Le pays (Newspaper) (in French). Vol. 12, no. 105 (Montréal: Le pays,1852-1871 ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. September 29, 1863. p. 1.
  25. ""Ye Art Fair". The Art Gallery and The Contributors Thereto". The Montreal daily herald and daily commercial gazette (Newspaper). Vol. 79, no. 292 (The Herald Company ed.). Montreal (QC), Canada. December 8, 1887. p. 4.

Sources

Books / works

Notorial acts

List of notorial acts in chronological order of publication:

Newspaper articles