André Lapine

Andreas Christian Gottfried (André) Lapine (15 (Julian) / 27 (Gregorian) October 1866, Skujene – 26 February 1952, Minden, Ontario) was a Latvian-born Canadian painter noted for his accurate depictions of horses as well as landscapes and portraits.

Biography Born in the Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire, in what is now Latvia, Lapine spent 20 years as an artist in the Netherlands, before emigrating to Canada in 1905, where he became especially renowned for his depictions of horses.

Lapine was the son of Natalia Julia Krebs and Johan Lapine, a general contractor in the town of Schuen. He began his art training at a young age under the tutelage of M. Rose (of the Imperial Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg). Rose noted Lapine's exceptional talent and, in 1882, invited him to tour Europe's foremost galleries to further his art studies.

After six months, Lapine separated from his instructor and took up a studio with Josef Weiss. Unable to make a decent living as a painter, Weiss finally gave up art altogether and headed for America. Lapine himself left Paris but continued with painting, traveling from Verdun to Alsace-Lorraine, then to Belgium, and finally in 1885 to Amsterdam. There he studied at the Royal Academy of Amsterdam night school, with Professor August Allebé. He became a member of the St Lucas Art Society.

During this time, Lapine met Collumbiena Geertruida Britt from Norg whom he married at the age of 31 in August 1897 in Amsterdam. His work was selected and purchased by the National Gallery of Canada as well as the Art Gallery of Ontario. His injuries were severe and it appeared unlikely he would survive. Medical bills began piling up. The Mail & Empire carried the following account of the accident: "The rather small painter, who excels in the delineation of horses, was crossing the highway near his home two weeks ago. He saw an auto coming from one direction, stepped backward and was knocked down by another car traveling in the opposite direction". Almost a month later the Star Weekly announced that a committee had been formed; headed by Sir Edmund Wyly Grier, to organize a sale of paintings, contributed by artists in Ontario, to help pay for Lapine's medical bills. The showing took place at the T. Eaton Company Fine Art Galleries and the Robert Simpson Co. under the patronage of His Honour, the Lieutenant-Governor and Mrs. Bruce and forty-one distinguished families including: Lady Baillie; Lady Eaton; Hon. Vincent and Mrs. Massy; Mrs. Lawren Harris; Col. and Mrs. J.B. MacLean; Mr. & Mrs. A. H. Robson; Dr. and Mrs Sigmund Samuel. Lapine eventually recovered and returned to his easel. The Lapines moved to Minden in the 1940s where André continued to paint. He died in 1952 and is buried with his wife in the Minden Cemetery.

Lapine's death was noted in many Ontario newspapers. It was Pearl McCarthy, however, who wrote much about Lapine during his time on the Toronto art scene and nicknamed the 'gentle cavalier', who best described Lapine in her article in the Globe and Mail, "André Lapine, the artist, died yesterday. As this smiling but gentle cavalier from an earlier era passed from the scene, Toronto art circles lost one of their most picturesque links with past ways."

Today, Lapine's work is in many private and public collections including the Agnes Jamieson Gallery located in Minden, Ontario Canada. The Agnes Jamison Gallery opened in 1981 to show case 41 Lapine paintings that were bequeathed to the Minden township by Frank Welch, a resident of the area. The Agnes Jamieson Gallery now houses over 100 of Lapine's works in their permanent collection.