George-Théodore Berthon Paintings & Artwork for Sale | George-Théodore Berthon Art Value Price Guide

Feb. 25, 2023
George Theodore Berthon - Portrait of James Lancaster
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Portrait of James Lancaster
Westbridge Fine Art Auction House
Sep. 24, 2022
George Theodore Berthon - Portrait of James Lancaster
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Portrait of James Lancaster
Westbridge Fine Art Auction House
Jun. 25, 2022
George Theodore Berthon - Portrait of James Lancaster
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Portrait of James Lancaster
Westbridge Fine Art Auction House
Mar. 26, 2022
George Theodore Berthon - Portrait of James Lancaster
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Portrait of James Lancaster
Westbridge Fine Art Auction House
Jan. 29, 2022
George Theodore Berthon - Portrait of James Lancaster
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Portrait of James Lancaster
Westbridge Fine Art Auction House
Sep. 16, 2018
George T. Berthon, Portrait of Madame de Montigny
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
George Theodore Berthon (Canadian / French, 1806 - 1892) "Portrait of Madame de Montigny" Oil on canvas Apparently unsigned; paper label to verso of structure for Garfield Galleries, Toronto, Ontario Approx. 38.75 x 32.75" (framed), 28.75" 23.75" (unframed) Provenance: From the Private Collection of Dr. Phillip Golomb, M.D. of Montgomery, Alabama
Ahlers & Ogletree Inc.
Jun. 24, 2018
George T. Berthon, Portrait of Madame de Montigny
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
George Theodore Berthon (Canadian / French, 1806 - 1892) "Portrait of Madame de Montigny" Oil on canvas Apparently unsigned; paper label to verso of structure for Garfield Galleries, Toronto, Ontario Approx. 38.75 x 32.75"(framed), 28.75" 23.75" (unframed) Provenance: From the Private Collection of Dr. Phillip Golomb, M.D. of Montgomery, Alabama
Ahlers & Ogletree Inc.
Sep. 22, 2016
GEORGE THEODORE BERTHON, PORTRAIT OF JAMES LANCASTER, oil on canvas, 24 ins x 18 ins; 61 cms x 45.7 cms
Est: -
GEORGE THEODORE BERTHONPORTRAIT OF JAMES LANCASTERoil on canvassigned and dated 1844 24 ins x 18 ins; 61 cms x 45.7 cms Provenance:Private Collection, United KingdomNote:George Theodore Berthon was one of the first and most accomplished portrait painters in mid 19th century Canada. His father, Rene Theodore Berthon was a court painter to Napoleon Bonaparte and his artistic skills were honed in the studio of the foremost French Neoclassical master, Jacques Louis David. These painterly practises the elder Berthon passed on to his son. George Theodore furthered his study of portraiture when he emigrated from Paris to England in 1827. The majority of his fourteen year stay in London was devoted to developing a less elevated style of portrait, one that was steeped in the tradition of Sir Anthony van Dyck and culminated in the elegant 18th century portraits of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough and Sir Thomas Lawrence. He began exhibiting portraits with the prestigious Royal Academy in 1835.The date of 1844 ascribed by the artist confirms that indeed it was executed during his stay in England. Berthon painted this full-length elegant portrait of a gentleman in riding livery with top hat in hand. While the identity of Berthon’s subject is limited in this case to a name, James Lancaster, we can deduce that his status is one of a “country gentleman”. Berthon depicts him standing comfortably in what presumably is his country estate and property. Berthon applied his European aesthetic training and his admiration of British portraiture to creating imposing portraits of the more prominent members of Canadian society. He quickly established himself as the celebrated “court painter” of Upper Canada – Ontario – where he lived and worked in Toronto for some fifty years, 1845-1891. His portraits of the city’s more prominent citizens allow us to have a visual history of the ruling Family Compact, including judges, chief justices, lieutenant governors, physicians, religious leaders and high-ranking military and naval officers. Berthon’s most important commissions were the portraits he created for the Law Society of Upper Canada – still on view at Osgoode Hall.Estimate: $10,000–12,000
Waddington's
Nov. 23, 2015
GEORGE THÉODORE BERTHON, R.C.A., PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG LADY (ALSO KNOWN AS MRS. JOHN BEVERLEY ROBINSON, 1845), oil on canvas, 23 ins x 17.25 ins; 58.4 cms x 43.8 cms
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
GEORGE THÉODORE BERTHON, R.C.A.PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG LADY (ALSO KNOWN AS MRS. JOHN BEVERLEY ROBINSON, 1845)oil on canvassigned and dated 1845 23 ins x 17.25 ins; 58.4 cms x 43.8 cms Provenance:G. Blair Laing Limited, TorontoThe Loeb Collection, Aylmer, QuebecPrivate Collection, MontrealExhibited:The Mr. and Mrs. Jules Loeb Collection, A Travelling Exhibition prepared by Pierre Théberge, Curator of Contemporary Canadian Art, The National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 1970-71: Sir George Williams University, Montreal, 01 September - 30 September 1970, The National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 15 October - 15 November 1970, Winnipeg Art Gallery, 15 January - 15 February 1971, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, 01 March - 31 March 1971, Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, 15 April - 15 May 1971, The Art Gallery of Windsor, 01 June - 30 June 1971, Université de Sherbrooke, 15 July - 15 August 1971, Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton, 01 September - 30 September 1971Literature:Pierre Théberge, The Mr. and Mrs. Jules Loeb Collection (catalogue), The National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 1970-71, unpaginated, cat. no. 4, reproduced.Dennis Reid, A Concise History of Canadian Painting, 3rd Edition, Oxford University Press, Toronto, 2012, page 33, fig. 2.11, for Mrs William Henry Boulton, 1846 (collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario), reproduced in colour.Note:George Berthon was born in the Royal Palace of Vienna and was the son of René Théodore Berthon, court painter to Napoleon I. He emigrated to Canada in 1841 and established himself in Toronto by 1844 executing portraits of Bishops, Mayors and Chief Justices. As portrait painter to the upper echelons of the Canadian Establishment, Berthon’s works figure prominently in major collections such as that of the Art Gallery of Ontario (The Three Robinson Sisters) and Law Society of Upper Canada (Portrait of Sir John Beverley Robinson, Chief Justice of Upper Canada - which is considered to be his masterpiece). In the 1971 exhibition of the Loeb collection organized by Pierre Théberge, the sitter of this work was described as the wife of John Beverley Robinson (1791-1863), Chief Justice of Upper Canada, 1830-1862. However, scholarship on pre-Confederation art is always evolving and countless other works by artists from this period have been misidentified or misattributed in the past. At the time of the 1971 Loeb traveling exhibition, Berthon’s record books from the artist’s family had not yet been made public. With this information now available, the sitter has since been identified as Mrs. James Lukin Robinson, John Beverley Robinson’s daughter-in-law who married James Lukin Robinson (1818-1894) in 1845 – the year this work was executed. Like the portrait in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario of Mrs William Henry Boulton, 1846, with which it shares many affinities – pose, posture, setting, attention to detail, oval format and size – this could also be a wedding portrait.James Lukin Robinson’s bride, Elizabeth Arnold, was daughter to John Arnold. Her husband, John Beverley Robinson’s first son, would become 2nd Baronet in 1863.
Waddington's
Nov. 24, 2014
GEORGE THEODORE BERTHON, PORTRAIT OF JAMES LANCASTER, oil on canvas, 24 ins x 18 ins; 61 cms x 45.7 cms
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
GEORGE THEODORE BERTHONPORTRAIT OF JAMES LANCASTERoil on canvassigned and dated 1844 24 ins x 18 ins; 61 cms x 45.7 cms Provenance:Private Collection, United KingdomNote:George Theodore Berthon was one of the first and most accomplished portrait painters in mid 19th century Canada. His father, Rene Theodore Berthon was a court painter to Napoleon Bonaparte and his artistic skills were honed in the studio of the foremost French Neoclassical master, Jacques Louis David. These painterly practises the elder Berthon passed on to his son. George Theodore furthered his study of portraiture when he emigrated from Paris to England in 1827. The majority of his fourteen year stay in London was devoted to developing a less elevated style of portrait, one that was steeped in the tradition of Sir Anthony van Dyck and culminated in the elegant 18th century portraits of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough and Sir Thomas Lawrence. He began exhibiting portraits with the prestigious Royal Academy in 1835.The date of 1844 ascribed by the artist confirms that indeed it was executed during his stay in England. Berthon painted this full-length elegant portrait of a gentleman in riding livery with top hat in hand. While the identity of Berthon's subject is limited in this case to a name, James Lancaster, we can deduce that his status is one of a "country gentleman". Berthon depicts him standing comfortably in what presumably is his country estate and property. Berthon applied his European aesthetic training and his admiration of British portraiture to creating imposing portraits of the more prominent members of Canadian society. He quickly established himself as the celebrated "court painter" of Upper Canada - Ontario - where he lived and worked in Toronto for some fifty years, 1845-1891. His portraits of the city's more prominent citizens allow us to have a visual history of the ruling Family Compact, including judges, chief justices, lieutenant governors, physicians, religious leaders and high-ranking military and naval officers. Berthon's most important commissions were the portraits he created for the Law Society of Upper Canada - still on view at Osgoode Hall.
Waddington's
May. 25, 2012
GEORGE THEODORE BERTHON, O.S.A., R.C.A. PORTRAIT OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL GEORGE TAYLOR DENISON II, oil on canvas; signed 36 ins x 28 ins; 90 cms x 70 cms Provenance: George Taylor Denison II. George Taylor Denison III. Garnet Wolseley Denison, Toronto.
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
GEORGE THEODORE BERTHON, O.S.A., R.C.A. PORTRAIT OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL GEORGE TAYLOR DENISON II, oil on canvas; signed 36 ins x 28 ins; 90 cms x 70 cms Provenance: George Taylor Denison II. George Taylor Denison III. Garnet Wolseley Denison, Toronto. Edward Wolseley Denison, England. By descent to the present owner, England. Literature: Liz Lundell, The Estates of Old Toronto, Erin, Ontario, 1997, pages 44-45, for a discussion of the Rusholme property. Joyner Canadian Fine Art, auction, Toronto, May 27th, 2011, lot 55, for a smaller portrait of George Taylor Denison II. Note: A third-generation Upper Canadian to the manor born, Colonel George Taylor Denison of Rusholme (1816-1873) assumed the family's mantle of success by becoming a prominent Toronto lawyer, landowner, alderman, soldier and entrepreneur. Like his father and grandfather before him, land was the basis of his wealth, his interests ranging from scientific farm production and urban property development, to municipal contracting and expansion of the local militia. At Rusholme, the mansion he built in West Toronto in 1839, Denison and his wife Mary Anne Dewson led the life of country gentry, raising nine children in privileged surroundings that also became a centre of social life for Toronto's elite and, on occasion, visiting royalty: a Rusholme ball held in September 1860 was in honour of the Prince of Wales, with whom the Denisons' daughter Lilla waltzed the night away. It was as a soldier, however, that Denison spent a large part of his life. This portrait depicts him in the uniform of his regiment, the York Light Dragoons (now the Governor-General's Horse Guard), which he was appointed to command in 1846 and whose entire upkeep he funded out his personal fortune. In 1856, Denison formed the Toronto Field Battery and in 1860, the Queen's Own Rifles. That same year he was appointed Colonel Commandant of Toronto Militia (District 10) and in 1866 commanded the Toronto Garrison during the Fenian Raids.In this portrait the gilt rank device of a crown is visible on the epaulettes of Denison's York Light Dragoons uniform, signifying the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, which he reached in 1853. He would have worn a different uniform after 1856 when he was associated with the Artillery Battery, thus dating the painting circa 1853-56. Another version of Berthon's portrait of Denison is in the possession of today's Governor-General's Horse Guards Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment, a unit appropriately headquartered at the Lieutenant-Colonel George Taylor Denison III Armoury, Toronto.We would like to thank freelance historian, Jon Reid, for contributing the foregoing essay.
Waddington's
May. 25, 2012
GEORGE THEODORE BERTHON, O.S.A., R.C.A. PORTRAIT OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL GEORGE TAYLOR DENISON I, oil on canvas 36 ins x 28 ins; 90 cms x 70 cms Provenance: George Taylor Denison I. George Taylor Denison II. George Taylor Denison III. Garnet Wolseley
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
GEORGE THEODORE BERTHON, O.S.A., R.C.A. PORTRAIT OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL GEORGE TAYLOR DENISON I, oil on canvas 36 ins x 28 ins; 90 cms x 70 cms Provenance: George Taylor Denison I. George Taylor Denison II. George Taylor Denison III. Garnet Wolseley Denison, Toronto. Edward Wolseley Denison, England. By descent to the present owner, England. Literature: William Colgate, Canadian Art, Its Origin and Development, Toronto, 1967, pages 13-17, for an extensive account of Berthon's work.Note: Colonel George Taylor Denison of Bellevue (1783-1853) set the standard for loyalism, military involvement, procreative energy and worldly success that succeeding generations of Denisons would aspire to.His exploits in the War of 1812 and his founding, financing and commanding of York's first cavalry unit in the 1820s led to his promotion to the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the First West York Battalion in 1838 and, after the Militia Act of 1846, to the command of the 4th Battalion of Toronto Militia, which he held until his death. In this portrait, Berthon has depicted Denison in the uniform of the York Dragoons of the 1820s. By that stage of his life, property through his marriage to Esther Lippincott, receipt of the bulk of his father's estate, and his own astute business dealings had brought under his control vast land holdings in York and neighbouring districts occupied by more than a hundred tenant farmers. Bellevue, his Georgian manor, complete with farmland, a horse farm and orchard, sat on a sizable portion of the 556 acres of the town of York he eventually owned.An original member of the Family Compact, Denison was appointed one of four magistrates superintending local civil administration prior to Toronto's incorporation in 1834, and afterward was alderman for St. Patrick's ward for ten years. His support of the Anglican Church culminated in the endowment of St. John's-on-the-Humber whose exclusive graveyard is by now the last resting place of hundreds of Denison family members.Described by a contemporary as a "bluff, hale, strongly built man," Denison married four times and fathered thirteen children, outliving three of his wives and six of his offspring. The surviving sons were trained as lawyers or for military careers and all his children were imbued with a strong sense of their loyalist heritage and the obligations they must assume as leading citizens of the community. At his death in 1853, George Denison of Bellevue was one of the wealthiest men in Toronto, leaving an estate valued at more than £200,000.We would like to thank freelance historian, Jon Reid, for contributing the foregoing essay.
Waddington's
May. 27, 2011
GEORGE THEODORE BERTHON, O.S.A., R.C.A., PORTRAIT OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL GEORGE TAYLOR DENISON II, oil on card, laid down on board, 22 ins x 16 ins; 55 cms x 115 cms
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
GEORGE THEODORE BERTHON, O.S.A., R.C.A., PORTRAIT OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL GEORGE TAYLOR DENISON II, oil on card, laid down on board; signed. 22 ins x 16 ins; 55 cms x 115 cms. Provenance: Private Collection, Massachusetts. Literature: William Colgate, Canadian Art, Its Origin and Development, Toronto, 1967, pages 13-17, for an extensive account of Berthon's work. Joyner Canadian Fine Art, auction, Toronto, June 1st 2010, lot 149, for a portrait of Colonel Jeremiah Wilkes Dewson, father-in-law of Colonel George Taylor Denison II who commissioned the portrait of Col. Dewson. Note: Painted circa 1853-56. Col. Dewson (1816-1873) was born in Toronto and educated at Upper Canada College, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1840. Denison was a prominent lawyer, soldier and entrepreneur. Married to Mary Anne Dewson in 1839, the Denisons built Rusholme on property given by Col. Denison's father, the fields and orchards of which became a model of productive, scientific farming. The Denisons lived the life of country squires and Rusholme became a centre of social life with balls and soirees and was visited by a number of royal and military personalities. It was as a soldier, however, that Denison spent a large part of his life. This portrait depicts Denison in the uniform of his regiment, the York Light Dragoons (now known as the Governor General's Bodyguard) which he was appointed to command in 1846. Previously, he had commanded the Queen's Light Dragoons during the rebellion of 1837. In 1848, Denison was promoted to captain and in 1850 to Brevet-Major. By 1853, now a Lieutenant Colonel, Denison was Commanding Officer of the York Dragoons. In 1856, he formed the first Artillery Battery for Toronto and was temporarily the CO for the Queen's Own Rifles in 1860. The same year he was appointed Colonel Commandant of Toronto Militia (District 10) and, finally, in 1866 commanded the Toronto Garrison during the Fenian Raids. In this portrait the gilt rank device of a crown is visible on the epaulettes of Denison York Light Dragoons uniform signifying the rank of Lieut. Col. which he reached in 1853. He would have worn a different uniform after 1856 when he was associated with the Artillery Battery, thus allowing the painting to be dated circa 1853-56. A larger version of Berthon's portrait of Denison is in the possession of the Governor General's Bodyguard. Colgate notes that Berthon "...was entrusted with commissions by several notable military officers living in Toronto, among them...Lieutenant-Colonels R.I. Denison and George T. Denison."
Waddington's
Jun. 01, 2010
GEORGE THEODORE BERTHON, O.S.A., R.C.A., COLONEL JEREMIAH WILKES DEWSON, oil on canvas, 16 1/4 ins x 13 1/4 ins; 40.6 cms x 33.1 cms
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
GEORGE THEODORE BERTHON, O.S.A., R.C.A.COLONEL JEREMIAH WILKES DEWSON, oil on canvas; framed as an oval 16 1/4 ins x 13 1/4 ins; 40.6 cms x 33.1 cms Provenance: Col. George Taylor Denison II, Toronto.Col. George Taylor Denison III, Toronto.Mrs. C. Langmuir, (daughter of Col. George Taylor Denison III), Toronto.Sotheby & Co. (Canada) Ltd., auction, Toronto, 13th-14th May, 1974, lot 65.Private Collection, Toronto.Literature: William Colgate, Canadian Art, Its Origin and Development, Toronto, 1967, pages 13-17, for an extensive account of Berthon's work.Jerimiah Wilkes Dewson (1794-1852) was born at Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England. At the age of seventeen he received the commission of lieutenant in the Staffordshire Local Militia and served with that corps for three years when he obtained an Ensigncy in His Majesty's 35th Regt. of Foot. Dewson served throughout the Waterloo campaign in the 35th Regt. and shortly after was sent to Canada and stationed at the Old Fort, York, Upper Canada. It was during this residence that Dewson's daughter married Col. George Taylor Denison II. After retiring from the army in 1839 Col Dewson bought a farm near Bond Head, W. Gwillumbury, Upper Canada and lived there until his death in 1852.He played an active part in the Rebellion of 1837 during which time he was gazetted major of an inforporated gegiment and afterwards elected by the Loyalists to the rank of Colonel of the Simcoe Militia.This portrait of Col. Dewson by Berthon was commissioned by Col. G.T. Denison II and was painted for his son Col. G.T. Denison III from a miniature executed in Brussels during the Waterloo campaign when Ensign Dewson was nineteen years old.Col. Dewson was buried, according to his wishes, in the cemetery beside the Church of England church (near Bond Head), Tecumseth, West Gwillumbury, Simcoe County, Ontario. A copy of the tombstone inscription and extracts from the diary of Col George T. Denison II regarding the death and funeral of Col. Dewson are available to the purchaser of this lot.Colgate notes that Berthon "was entrused with commissions by several notable military officers living in Toronto, among them...Lieutenant-Colonels R.L. Denison and George T. Denison." Berthon is recorded as painting other portraits from miniatures, including "that of Sir Isaac Brock, probably copied from a miniature" (Canadian Art, 1967, pages 13-16).In the foreward to the Catalogue of the Toronto Centennial Historical Exhibition (A.G.T., 1934) A.H. Robson stated that Berthon's portraits "represent our early pioneers and hold a place of importance in the history of our development."
Waddington's