ABSTRACT
Frederick Simpson Coburn's Illustrations for the
Poetry of Dr. W.H. Drummond
Elizabeth Hamilton Kennell
1985
Frederick Simpson Coburn (1871-1960), primarily known as a
painter of Canadian winter scenes, spent the majority of his formative years illustrating
books and periodicals, from about 1890 until 1916. This important period corresponds to
the years Coburn resided in Europe, where he studied in such major centres as Berlin,
Munich, London, Paris and Antwerp. The reputation Coburn enjoyed as an illustrator was
rapidly established in 1897 with the highly successful illustrated publication of the
Canadian poet, Dr. William Henry Drummond's (1854-1907) The Habitant. This thesis will
focus on Coburn's close relationship with Dr. W.H. Drummond, witnessed throughout the
production of the five volumes of poetry, and how they contributed to each other's
success. Coburn, for the most part, executed his Drummond illustrations from abroad, in an
international context, which often resulted in a very painterly handling and contemplative
interpretation of the material. The poetry, on the other hand, remains essentially
Canadian.
Through Drumnond, Coburn made contact with the publishing
firm of G.P. Putnam's Sons in New York who assumed responsibility for Coburn's successive
illustration commissions which included selections from the works of Washington Irving,
Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Robert Browning and Oliver
Goldsmith. Although Coburn enjoyed a lucrative career as an illustrator, his attitude
towards the domain was consistently that of a painter. Thus; Coburn's illustration work
must be considered important, not only as an integral part of his academic formation, but
also as a determining factor in the transition to his later painting.
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