Sophie Pemberton

Sophie Pemberton
Born(1869-02-13)February 13, 1869
Victoria, British Columbia
DiedOctober 31, 1959(1959-10-31) (aged 90)
Victoria, British Columbia
Resting placeRoss Bay Cemetery
Known forpainter

Sophia Theresa "Sophie" Pemberton (13 February 1869 - 31 October 1959) was a Canadian painter[1] who was British Columbia's first professional woman artist.[2] Despite the social limitations placed on female artists at the time, she made a noteworthy contribution to Canadian art and, in 1899, was the first woman to win the Prix Julian from the Académie Julian for portraiture.[3] Pemberton also was the first artist from British Columbia to receive international acclaim when her work was exhibited at the Royal Academy in London (1897).[4]

Pemberton married twice with subsequent changes in surname, complicating her visibility as an artist. She lived half her life in England, exhibiting frequently there but infrequently in Canada.She returned to her hometown Victoria on occasion to reconnect with family and friends.[4]

She also played a role in Emily Carr's 'discovery'. The two artists grew up together in the same small city. While in BC in 1921, Pemberton talked with Harold Mortimer-Lamb about Emily Carr. He told Eric Brown, director at the National Gallery of Canada about Carr, leading to an invitation by the National Gallery of Canada for her work to be part of an exhibition on West Coast Art in 1927.[4]

  1. ^ "Artist Database : Artists : PEMBERTON, Sophie". Canadian Women Artists History Initiative.
  2. ^ "Sophie Pemberton". sim-publishing.com. Sim Publishing Co. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Tuele was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Bridge 2023.