Frances Anne Hopkins
Frances Anne Hopkins (February 2, 1838 – March 5, 1919) was a British painter. She was the third of Frederick William Beechey's five children. In 1858, she married a Hudson's Bay Company official, Edward Hopkins, whose work took him to North America. Hopkins travelled along with him. While sailing, she was able to sketch extensively, therefore, capturing a now lost way of living – the last days of the fur trade.
Frances Anne Hopkins | |
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Hopkins photographed in 1863 by William Notman | |
| Born | February 2, 1838 London, England |
| Died | March 5, 1919 (aged 81) Hampstead, London, England |
| Occupation | Painter |
| Known for | Painting scenes of the fur trade in Canada |
| Spouse |
Edward Hopkins (m. 1858) |
| Parent |
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| Relatives |
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Hopkins painted actively during the 1860s and 1870s. Her best-known works are several large paintings made from her sketches. She portrayed a voyageur's life in the mid-nineteenth century. Hopkins, however, remained relatively unknown until recently. At the same time, considering that, she was an artist placed in a context where gender-imposed restrictions were prevalent. In fact, Frances Anne Hopkins was dubbed as a woman who "staked out an identity based on difference: a woman in a group of men." Her works were featured at exhibitions of the Art Association of Montreal, followed by, eleven exhibitions at the Royal Academy in London.
The Hopkins family returned to England in 1870 where she lived until her death. Hopkins was an artist able to record an important aspect of Canadian history.