To ordinary mortals, the name of the painter Henry Daniel Thielcke (1788-1874) does not say much. Having lived from 1832 to 1854 in Quebec, where he was notably the protege of Louis-Joseph Papineau and a portraitist of members of high society, the artist sank into oblivion more than 140 years ago. However, his greatest work, Presentation of a newly elected chief to the council of the Huron tribe of Lorette, is exhibited at Château Ramezay. Thanks to Patrick White, journalist and professor of journalism at UQAM’s School of Media, the man, born at Buckingham Palace of German parents and having ended his days in Chicago, regains his rightful place in history. .
After pursuing the research of David Karel (1944-2007), professor at Laval University, and student Annie Fraser (1969-2001) for 15 years, Patrick White has just published what he calls his duty to memory towards the two researchers and the painter, Henry Daniel Thielcke. The life of an unknown royal painter. The book, richly documented, will certainly become a valuable tool for researchers and art historians.
“We are repairing the injustice of someone who has been forgotten in history, except by the David Karels, Annie Frasers and John R. Porters of this world,” says the author by videoconference. Porter’s preface allows us to come full circle, for I am not an art historian or a specialist in painting, I am a journalist who has investigated from the body of books and research that David Karel m gave before dying. He knew that I was going to be able to write a five or six page notice for the Dictionary of Canadian Biography. »
Attributing the fifth of the book to Karel and Fraser, the author, who has been in contact with the painter’s heirs since 2008, checked the facts, scoured the bowels of Google, visited museums where works by Thielcke and spoke with historical scholars. He even had many contacts with the collaborators of the collection of royal works in England.
“Buckingham Palace contacted me this week to get a copy of the book for the Queen. Today, we know that 81 of his works have been found. A month ago, we had 78; 90% of the works have been found. I am in weekly contact with the family. We know that people have works by Thielcke in their basement, their garage, their library”, says the author, who cherishes the dream of a traveling exhibition of works by Thielcke, some of which would need to be restored. , within five years.
exile painter
We do not know the reasons that pushed Henry Daniel Thielcke to leave Buckingham Palace after the death of George III, who had paid for his studies at the Royal Academy of Arts and the British Institution. We don’t know much more about his life in Edinburgh, where he would have lived for 11 years, but we guess that he would have set sail for America in the hope of a better life. Moreover, no less than 252 newspaper articles devoted to the painter were published during his 23 years of exile in Quebec.
“Thielcke was probably in the top 5 19th century paintersand century, in Canada, with Antoine Plamondon, Joseph Légaré, James Bowman and Thomas Amiot. The history of this painter is linked to that of Quebec, of Lower Canada, of the royal family, of the links between Quebec and the United Kingdom. The fact that he had a royal title helped him a lot, but, at the same time, he snatched a lot from it. »
In fact, on several occasions, the author describes the painter as impecunious in his book. Despite his undeniable talent, Thielcke suffered several professional setbacks, which certainly prompted him to try his luck in New York, then in Chicago – where he might have rubbed shoulders with the painter Cornelius Krieghoff. It must be said that Plamondon, his studio neighbor in parliament, was not kind to the English painter, who learned French to better integrate into the Old Capital, where 40% of the population was English speaker at the time.
“Plamondon was so effective in his hatred of Thielcke and all the other competing painters at the time that Thielcke, an Anglican, had to stop doing religious paintings. He did three and it was over. The worst comments came from Gérard Morisset and Louis Plamondon, but when we read the analyzes of Ross Fox, John R. Porter and Mario Béland, we understand that he is one of the greatest Canadian painters of the 19th century.and century. »
Delighted with the renewed enthusiasm for the works of Henry Daniel Thielcke, Patrick White wishes to publish his book in English in order to make the painter better known. And, who knows, to learn more about his nomadic existence.
“We are working through some mysteries, but the aura of mystery will remain, because we know very little about his personality. I also have good hope that we will find other paintings in the coming years,” concludes the journalist.