Cornelius Krieghoff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cornelius Krieghoff
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Cornelius Krieghoff photographed by M.O. Hammond
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| Born | June 19, 1815 |
| Died | March 5, 1872 (aged 56) Chicago, Illinois
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| Nationality | Dutch Canadian |
| Education | Michel Martin Drolling |
| Known for | Painter |
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Notable work
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The Toll Gate, 1859 |
| Spouse(s) | Émilie Gauthier (m. 1837) |
Cornelius David Krieghoff (born June 19, 1815 – died March 5, 1872) was a famous painter from the 1800s. He was born in the Netherlands but became a Canadian-American artist. He is most known for his paintings of Canadian scenes, especially landscapes and outdoor life. His artworks often showed winter scenes and were very popular when he was alive, and they still are today.
Contents
A Painter's Journey
Cornelius Krieghoff was born in Amsterdam, which is now part of the Netherlands. When he was a boy, his family moved to Germany. His father worked to start a wallpaper factory. They lived in a very old castle called Schloss Mainberg.
Cornelius learned to paint from his father. Around 1830, he went to the Academy of Fine Arts in Germany. In 1836, he moved to New York. He joined the United States Army in 1837. While in the army, he drew many sketches. He left the army in 1840.
In 1844, Krieghoff traveled to Paris, France. There, he studied famous paintings at the Louvre museum. He learned from a teacher named Michel Martin Drolling.
Life in Canada
Around 1846, Cornelius and his wife, Émilie Gauthier, moved to Montreal, Canada. He helped start the Montreal Society of Artists in 1847. While living in Montreal, he became friends with the Mohawk people. They lived on the Kahnawake Indian Reservation. Krieghoff made many sketches of them. Later, he used these sketches to create oil paintings.
In 1853, he and his family moved to Quebec City. He visited Europe again in 1854, going to Italy and Germany. He returned to Canada in 1855. He lived in Europe again from 1863 to 1868. Then, he moved to Chicago to retire.
Cornelius Krieghoff passed away in Chicago on March 5, 1872. He was 56 years old. He is buried in Graceland Cemetery in Chicago. Many of his early sketches were sadly lost in a big fire in Quebec in 1881.
A Canadian art expert, Charles C. Hill, said that Krieghoff was the first Canadian artist to paint "the beauty of our waterfalls, and the tough daily life of people living in new places."
Where to See His Art
Many museums and art galleries proudly display Cornelius Krieghoff's paintings. Here are some of them:
- Art Gallery of Hamilton (Canada)
- Art Gallery of Ontario (Canada)
- Beaverbrook Art Gallery (Canada)
- Brooklyn Museum (New York City)
- Glenbow Museum (Canada)
- McCord Museum (Canada)
- Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Canada)
- Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (Canada)
- National Gallery of Canada (Canada)
- New York Public Library (New York City)
- Rockwell Museum (New York)
- Winnipeg Art Gallery (Canada)
- Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (Canada)
One of the largest collections of Krieghoff's paintings was owned by a rich newspaper owner named Ken Thomson. This collection, with over two hundred paintings, can now be seen at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Art Mysteries
In 1977, Ken Thomson's collection made headlines. He invited a famous English art forger named Tom Keating to check his Krieghoff paintings. Keating was known for creating very good copies of famous artworks. He had even claimed to have painted hundreds of fake Krieghoffs in the 1950s.
Museum experts were very curious when Keating came to look at the paintings. He carefully checked the artworks at the Art Gallery of Ontario and other Canadian museums. Keating said he did not find any of his own fake paintings in Mr. Thomson's collection. He was happy that his copies had not ended up in these important art collections.
How Krieghoff is Remembered
In 1955, a documentary film called The Jolifou Inn was released. This 10-minute film showed what life was like in Quebec in the 1800s. It used Krieghoff's paintings to show what inspired him.
Canada Post has also honored Cornelius Krieghoff with special stamps:
- On November 29, 1972, a stamp was released. It showed his painting "The Blacksmith's Shop" from 1871.
- On July 7, 2000, another stamp was issued. It featured his painting "The Artist at Niagara" from 1858.
Top Price for a Painting
The highest price ever paid for a Cornelius Krieghoff painting at an auction was $570,000 Canadian dollars. This happened on November 20, 2006. The painting was called Mail boat landing at Quebec.
Gallery
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The Blacksmith's Shop, oil on canvas, 22 x 36 in, 1871, Art Gallery of Ontario
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Self-portrait, 1855, National Gallery of Canada
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The Toll Gate, oil on canvas painting, 1859
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The Toll Gate, oil on canvas, 1861, National Gallery
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The Blizzard, oil on canvas, 1857, National Gallery
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The Habitant Farm, oil on canvas, 1856, National Gallery
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The Ice Bridge at Longue-Pointe, 1847–1848, National Gallery
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The River Road, oil on canvas, 1855, National Gallery
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Winter Landscape, oil on canvas, 1849, National Gallery
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Winter Landscape, Laval, oil on canvas, 1862, National Gallery
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Following the Moose, oil on canvas, ca. 1860, 11 x 9.5 in., Brooklyn Museum
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Fraser with Mr. Miller Up, oil on canvas, 1854, National Gallery
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Indian Wigwam in Lower Canada, lithograph with watercolor on wove paper
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The Passing Storm, Saint-Ferréol, oil on canvas, 1854, National Gallery
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Habitants, 1852
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Lumber Raft on the St. Lawrence, 1867
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Indian Woman Moccasin Seller
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Signatures
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Images for kids
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Krieghoff's grave at Graceland Cemetery
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