Frances Anne Beechey Hopkins

Heffel Auction House Biography and Notes

Frances Anne Hopkins came to Canada in 1858 from London, England, settling in Lachine, Quebec, with her husband, who was a Hudson's Bay Company official. She spent 12 years in Canada and was a pioneer recorder of socio-historical images such as the life of the voyageurs, the fur trade industry, canoe travel and the transportation of lumber. She was an artist during a time when being a woman in this pursuit was unusual, as it was the preserve of British military officers trained in watercolour who documented early Canadian scenes. The subject of the timber raft was of great interest to Hopkins - these distinctive rafts were often seen on major Canadian rivers such as the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers at the time. This intriguing work is full of visual interest with its simple shelter, men huddling around a blazing fire and a canoe with fishermen. Hopkins's fine ability with watercolour is particularly evident in her handling of these details and of the soft, hazy atmosphere that envelops the scene.