Gallery Archive & Biography

Authenticated and SOLD on behalf of a private collector by Freemanart :

Description: A panoramic, mountainous wooded valley, with river rapids and Western Indians setting up an encampment

An Oil on Canvas over stretcher. Signed bottom right A.F. LOEMANS
Measuring 22 x 35 ¾ inches (560mm.x 910mm approx)

This magnificent recently discovered work of art, is in good condition with no visible repairs or in painting.

Price by negotiation.

Detail:

Offered and SOLD by private negotiation:

Biography:

Alexander Francois Loemans (correctly pronounced Loo-mahns) is a painter about whom we know very little, other than he lived and worked for most of his life in Canada, was in Boston between 1882-84 and Vancouver up to 1894.
Loemans was stepfather to the notable Canadian artist and educator J.R.Seavey*

It is generally believed that Loemans was born in the Netherlands or at least is of Dutch descent, though it is believed he was formally French trained and there is some controvery over the detail.
The French part of his training is clearly evident however, in the quality of draughtsmanship and technical ability he expresses in his work.

Most of his known works were painted in Canada (Ontario and Manitoba) and the Northern United States (Sierra Nevada Mountains - New York State, Minnesota etc).
Some of his works in fact, show tropical landscapes and a native woman from the Peruvian Andes, (it is assumed that he visited Peru or another South American country in the Andes region.)

In the main, the dominant features in his works which are dramatic landscape paintings, consists of thundering river waters, threatening skies and wild and stormy winds.
In his western landscapes small figures of Indians are often included though there is some controversy as to the theatrical nature of their inclusion compared to the brilliance of the landscape and backdrop.

It is known that Loemans worked on the Hudson River, at St. Anthony Falls, on the Minnesota River, in Ontario and Manitoba.
His landscapes are both small scale and sweeping, and share equally a dynamic which is both idyllic and dramatic..

Permanent Collections:

Works by Loemans are held in permanent collections at the:
The National Gallery of Canada
The New Brunswick Museum,
Musee de Beaux Arts Montreal.
The Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario,
British Columbia Archives
Minnesota Historical Society,
Minneapolis Public Library,
The Museum of Fine Arts of St. Petersburg, Florida,
Louisiana State University Museum of Art
Greenville Museum of Art

This biographic by David Freeman is based upon information from :
American Indians and Dutch Artists", a manuscript-in-progress by Pieter Hovens, [curator at the National Museum of Ethnology, P.O. Box 212, 2300 AE Leiden, the Netherlands] and other sources.
The author would appreciate any additional information on Loemans.

*Note: [J.R. Seavey was important to Hamilton in Ontario because his sketches now serve as historical references. In 1897, he published a collection of 95 drawings depicting churches, graveyards, inns and mills of old Hamilton.
The collection, titled: the Wentworth Landmarks.]

Additional Bibliography:

The Collectors Dictionary of Canadian Artists Vol 2: Anthony Westbridge.
The Magazine .NY
Early painters and engravers in Canada / Harper J Russell.
The Artists Bluebook
Davenport's Art Reference / Davenport, Ray
Artists in California, 1786-1940/ Hughes, Edan Milton
Sotheby's Art at auction
Benezet,
Moccasins and Wooden Shoes- A. E Leiden
Index of Canadian Artists.
Ontario Index of Canadian Artists

Note:
High quality - colour accurate images in TIFF format are available upon request, downloadable from our FTP site or direct to you by e mail as a JPEG image.

©D Freeman 2002

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Copyright 2002. Freemanart:
Unauthorized use of the images and the biography illustrated is prohibited and protected under International Laws of Copyright.