Giant’s Rib, Waterfalls along the Niagara Escarpment, Newsletter Article # 70 June 2014, Untitled Waterfall
The GRDC "Waterfall of the Month" for June 2014 will feature an Untitled 1880 waterfall painting from the newest art show at the Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH) titled "Into the Light: The Paintings of William Blair Bruce (1859 - 1906)" celebrating the 100th anniversary of the AGH.
The AGH opened in June 1914 with 29 of William Blair Bruce's (WBB) paintings.
WBB was born (1859) and raised in Hamilton however in the summer of 1881 he left Hamilton for France to study art and became Canada's first Impressionist artist.
It is extremely rare that an opportunity arises whereby we can view four original paintings from 1865 to 1881 depicting waterfalls in Hamilton. Such is the case in this art show which includes two paintings of Webster's Falls by Henry Nesbitt McEvoy of which one is dated 1865-1866, and the other two paintings by William Blair Bruce of which one is labeled "Chedoke Ravine" dated 1880-1881 and the other is "Untitled" dated 1880, however WBB's notes indicated that it was "Possibly Fall near Ancaster".
This article will focus on this painting "Untitled (Possibly Fall near Ancaster)" from 1880 and solve the mystery as to which waterfall it is.
As WBB lived on the Hamilton mountain at this time, he apparently climbed down the escarpment almost daily to go to school and paint. By comparing his painting to all the waterfalls located between his second painting "Chedoke Ravine" and Ancaster, I have deduced that this waterfall is what we now call Cliffview Falls.
A current photo of Cliffview Falls from a similar angle as in the painting is attached however as there are copyright laws, we are not permitted to show a picture of WBB's actual painting of this waterfall. You will have to visit the Art Gallery of Hamilton to see it.
(NOTE we were able to obtain a picture of the Untitled Waterfall as shown in Comment 1 below.)
As far as we know, this waterfall had no name until 2005 when it was officially called Cliffview Falls after Cliffview Park which is located beside this waterfall, adding credibility to the fact that it was unnamed at the time of its painting in 1880.
By Joseph Hollick
Giant’s Rib, Waterfalls along the Niagara Escarpment, Newsletter Article # 70 June 2014, Untitled Waterfall
The GRDC "Waterfall of the Month" for June 2014 will feature an Untitled 1880 waterfall painting from the newest art show at the Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH) titled "Into the Light: The Paintings of William Blair Bruce (1859 - 1906)" celebrating the 100th anniversary of the AGH.
The AGH opened in June 1914 with 29 of William Blair Bruce's (WBB) paintings.
WBB was born (1859) and raised in Hamilton however in the summer of 1881 he left Hamilton for France to study art and became Canada's first Impressionist artist.
It is extremely rare that an opportunity arises whereby we can view four original paintings from 1865 to 1881 depicting waterfalls in Hamilton. Such is the case in this art show which includes two paintings of Webster's Falls by Henry Nesbitt McEvoy of which one is dated 1865-1866, and the other two paintings by William Blair Bruce of which one is labeled "Chedoke Ravine" dated 1880-1881 and the other is "Untitled" dated 1880, however WBB's notes indicated that it was "Possibly Fall near Ancaster".
This article will focus on this painting "Untitled (Possibly Fall near Ancaster)" from 1880 and solve the mystery as to which waterfall it is.
As WBB lived on the Hamilton mountain at this time, he apparently climbed down the escarpment almost daily to go to school and paint. By comparing his painting to all the waterfalls located between his second painting "Chedoke Ravine" and Ancaster, I have deduced that this waterfall is what we now call Cliffview Falls.
A current photo of Cliffview Falls from a similar angle as in the painting is attached however as there are copyright laws, we are not permitted to show a picture of WBB's actual painting of this waterfall. You will have to visit the Art Gallery of Hamilton to see it.
(NOTE we were able to obtain a picture of the Untitled Waterfall as shown in Comment 1 below.)
As far as we know, this waterfall had no name until 2005 when it was officially called Cliffview Falls after Cliffview Park which is located beside this waterfall, adding credibility to the fact that it was unnamed at the time of its painting in 1880.
By Joseph Hollick