Sophie Pemberton
| Sophie Pemberton | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
February 13, 1869 Victoria, British Columbia |
| Died | October 31, 1959 (aged 90) Victoria, British Columbia |
| Resting place | Ross Bay Cemetery |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Known for | painting |
Sophia Theresa "Sophie" Pemberton or Sophie Pemberton Deane-Drummond (13 February 1869 - 31 October 1959) was a Canadian painter. 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 Canadian woman to win the Prix Julian from the Académie Julian for her portraiture.
Born in Victoria, British Columbia, Sophie, as she was known throughout her life, was the daughter of Teresa Jane Grantoff and Joseph Despard Pemberton (1821–1893). A successful executive with the Hudson's Bay Company and the first Surveyor-General of Vancouver Island, her father could afford to send her to live and study in Paris at the Académie Julian.
Pemberton painted at a time when her chosen media had been the exclusive domain of men and her European influences can be seen in her work. The painter of both portraits and landscapes, Pemberton was the first artist from the province of British Columbia to receive international acclaim when her work was exhibited at the Royal Academy in London, including her award-winning 1897 work seen here, entitled Little Boy Blue. While in London she shared a studio with Anna Nordgren, whom she probably had met in Paris.
Beyond her work on canvas, Pemberton taught painting to local female artists. In 1909 she did the artistic decoration for the non-denominational Pemberton Memorial Chapel gifted by her family to Victoria's Royal Jubilee Hospital.
Pemberton showed her work at the Royal Academy, the Paris Salon, and the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (the St. Louis World's Fair). She alternated between living in England and Victoria. She had a solo show in Victoria in 1902. In 1906 she was elected an Associate of the Royal Canadian Academy. A retrospective of her work was shown at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 1954, and a second one at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria in 1967.
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