Théophile Hamel

Théophile-Abraham Hamel (8 November 1817 – 23 December 1870) was a Canadian artist who painted mainly portraits and religious images in 19th-century Quebec.

Life Hamel was born in 1817 in Sainte-Foy (then a suburb of Quebec City), the son of a successful farmer. Hamel's paternal ancestry can be traced to French immigrant Jean Hamel, who arrived in New France from Avremesnil (Normandy) in 1656. In 1834 Théophile was already taking art lessons from Antoine Plamondon. For a while he attended the Accademia di San Luca, in Rome. He was very much interested in the works of the Romantics.

Career Hamel was an apprentice for the artist Antoine Plamondon (1804-1895). Through this experience, Hamel learned to draw and paint in a European style.

In 1838 he painted 'Three Indian Chiefs Leading a Delegation to Quebec. In 1840, Hamel opened his own art studio, but decided to continue his education abroad to improve his business as a professional artist taking commissions. In 1846 he returned to Canada to Quebec. Throughout his career he travelled throughout Canada East and Canada West, painting portraits of such notables as Sir John Beverley Robinson, Denis-Benjamin Viger, Sir Allan MacNab, Louis-Joseph Papineau, John Sandfield Macdonald, and Sir Étienne Taché. He worked quickly, often completing a portrait in a single day.

Hamel also painted religious pictures for various commissions, and a series of "imaginative" or "semi-imaginative" portraits of Jacques Cartier, Samuel de Champlain, Jean Talon, Montcalm, and General James Murray. The image of Cartier even appeared on a banknote. It is estimated that Hamel painted more than 2000 portraits during his lifetime. In 1848, he painted portraits of Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine. In 1850-1, he painted Egerton Ryerson. In 1853, he painted 'Madame Renaud and Her Daughters Wilhemine and Emma'. His painting 'L'Abbé Edouard Faucher', painted in 1855, now hangs at Eglise de Saint-Laurent, Lotbiniere. His painting of Sir Allan MacNab, painted in 1853, hangs in the House of Commons of Canada.

Family In 1857, at age of 40, he married Mathilde-Georgiana Faribault, daughter of George-Barthélemy Faribault, a pioneer librarian. He died in Quebec City, in December 1870.

Gallery

Works Title/subject Artist Date created Medium Robert Baldwin Théophile Hamel 1848 Oil on canvas Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Théophile Hamel 1848 Oil on canvas Egerton Ryerson Théophile Hamel 1850-1 Oil on canvas 'Madame Renaud and Her Daughters Wilhemine and Emma' Théophile Hamel 1853 Oil on canvas 'L'Abbé Edouard Faucher' Théophile Hamel 1855 Oil on canvas Jean-Antoine Panet Copy by Théophile Hamel 1856 Oil on canvas David William Smith Théophile Hamel 1859 Oil on canvas Alexander Macdonell Copy by Théophile Hamel 1854 Oil on canvas Levius Peters Sherwood Copy by Théophile Hamel 1855 Oil on canvas John Willson Théophile Hamel 1855 Oil on canvas Marshall Spring Bidwell Théophile Hamel 1854 Oil on canvas Archibald McLean Théophile Hamel 1854 Oil on canvas Sir Allan Napier MacNab Théophile Hamel 1853 Oil on canvas Henry Ruttan Théophile Hamel 1856 Oil on canvas Austin Cuvillier Copy by Théophile Hamel 1856 Oil on canvas Augustin-Norbert Morin Théophile Hamel 1854 Oil on canvas John Sandfield Macdonald Théophile Hamel 1854 Oil on canvas Louis-Victor Sicotte Théophile Hamel 1855 Oil on canvas Sir Allan MacNab Théophile Hamel 1862 Oil on canvas Joseph-Édouard Turcotte Théophile Hamel 1865 Oil on canvas Major General James Wolfe Copy by Théophile Hamel Oil on canvas Louis-Joseph de Montcalm Copy by Théophile Hamel Oil on canvas George Prevost Copy by Théophile Hamel after Robert Field 1864 Oil on canvas