The Art of Copying
We have all internalized the idea that copying art is wrong; but is it always? The Art of Copying is an exhibit that explores the world of copied artwork.
Why copy artwork?
The idea of copying works of art may make some people feel uneasy in this age of copyright
protection. However, this practice has been carried out for centuries, and proper copies are not forgeries.
Copying works of art is common for artists working to improve their skills and to gain a deeper understanding of the craft. Artists such as Manet, Degas and Chagall began as copyists themselves.
Today many galleries including the Louvre and the British National Gallery offer copyist programs. In order to copy works of art in these galleries artists must apply for a permit. The artists are required to:
- work a certain distance away from the original painting,
- use specific
materials and media, - ensure copies are of different dimensions than the original
- and are limited to a certain number of hours they can work in the gallery at one time.
Who produced the copies at Glanmore?
Most of the copies were done by Bertram Couldery (1838 – 1911), with some being attributed to his brother Horatio Couldery. Bertram specialized in landscape painting and was an excellent copyist. Bertram and Cecilia Couldery visited Canada from England in the early 1880s. They had a second home in Belleville and were both painters. Glanmore houses a large collection of artifacts from their estate.
Check out these copies from Glanmore's Couldery Collection, and click the links to visit the original artworks online!
Copy
Copy of Shoeing (ca.1861-1870)
after Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-1873), made by Bertram Couldery (1839-1911)
Oil on canvas
The Couldery Collection, Glanmore National Historic Site of Canada
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Original
Shoeing (1844)
Sir Edwin Landseer, 1802–1873
Oil on canvas
Tate Collection in London, England
From Tate online collection text, "Shoeing was commissioned by the artist’s long-time friend, Jacob Bell. The painting was originally conceived in the 1830s as a portrait of Bell’s favourite horse, Old Betty, with her foal. By the time Landseer committed himself to the painting, however, years had elapsed and the two foals bred by Bell for the purpose of the picture had grown up."
Photo source: Tate Collection
Copy
Copy of Self Portrait at the Age of 34
after Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669), made by Bertram Couldery (1839-1911)
Oil on canvas
The Couldery Collection, Glanmore National Historic Site of Canada
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Original
Self Portrait at the Age of 34 (1640)
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1606-1669
Oil on canvas
The National Gallery, London, England, United Kingdom
The original portrait was completed in 1640 and has been in the collection at The National Gallery in London, England since 1861. Rembrandt worked as an art teacher in Europe in the 15th century.
Photo source: Wikipedia/The National Gallery
Copy
Portrait of Aechje Claesdr
after Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669), made by Bertram Couldery (1839-1911)
Oil on canvas
The Couldery Collection, Glanmore National Historic Site of Canada
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Original
Portrait of Aechje Claesdr (1634)
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1606-1669
Oil on canvas
The National Gallery, London, England, United Kingdom
The original portrait is of Aechje Claesdr, the widow of an Amsterdam brewer, and was painted in 1634. It was privately owned until The National Gallery purchased it in 1867. Rembrandt is revered for his ability to honestly portray the character of the subject of his portraits.
Photo source: Wikipedia/The National Gallery
Copy
Elizabeth and Thomas Linley (1860)
after Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788), made by Bertram Couldery (1839-1911)
Oil on canvas
The Couldery Collection, Glanmore National Historic Site of Canada.
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Bertram Couldery chose to do a study of Elizabeth Linley, making her the focal point of his copy.
Original
Elizabeth and Thomas Linley (1768)
Thomas Gainsborough, 1727-1788
Oil on canvas
The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts
The original painting depicts this image of Elizabeth Linley beside her brother Thomas, and was completed in 1768. Elizabeth Linley was a well-known singer and performer in England in the 18th Century. Her father Thomas Linley (the elder) was also a well-known singer, musician and composer. The artist Thomas Gainsborough befriended the Linley’s when he moved to Bath, England in 1759 and painted many likenesses of the family.
Photo source: Clark Art Institute, 1955.955
Copy
The Parish Beadle (ca.1850s)
after Sir David Wilkie (1785-1841), made by Bertram Couldery (1839-1911)
Oil on canvas
The Couldery Collection, Glanmore National Historic Site of Canada
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Original
The Parish Beadle (1820-3)
Sir David Wilkie, 1785-1841
Oil on wood
Tate Collection, London, England, United Kingdom
The original was painted by Wilkie between 1820-23 and is in the collection at the Tate Britain in London, England. It depicts the arrest of a family of travelling performers and their animals.
Photo source: Tate Collection.
Copy
The Blind Fiddler (ca.1870)
after Sir David Wilkie, (1785-1841), made by Bertram Couldery (1839-1911)
Oil on canvas
The Couldery Collection, Glanmore National Historic Site of Canada
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Original
The Blind Fiddler (1806)
Sir David Wilkie, 1785-1841
Oil on mahogany
Tate Collection, London, England, United Kingdom
The original was painted by Wilkie in 1806 and is in the collection at the Tate Britain in London, England. The scene depicts a blind fiddler playing for a group of adults.
Photo source: Tate Collection.
Copy
The Village Holiday (ca. 1854-1881)
after Sir David Wilkie (1785-1841), made by Bertram Couldery (1839-1911)
Oil on canvas
The Couldery Collection, Glanmore National Historic Site of Canada
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Original
The Village Holiday (1809-11)
Sir David Wilkie, 1785-1841
Oil on canvas
Tate Collection, London, England, United Kingdom
The original was painted by Wilkie in 1806. The scene depicts a realistic English scene with revelers at tables behind a village tavern. The original is in the collection at the Tate Britain in London, England.
Photo source: Tate Collection.
Copy
The Blind Beggar (ca.1907)
after Josephus Laurentius Dyckmans (1811-1888), made by Bertram Couldery (1839-1911)
Oil on canvas
The Couldery Collection, Glanmore National Historic Site of Canada
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Original
The Blind Beggar (1853)
Josephus Laurentius Dyckmans, 1811-1888
Oil on wood
The National Gallery, London, England, United Kingdom
The original painting was completed in 1853 and is in the collection at The National Gallery in London, England. This work was extremely popular for copyists in the 19th Century.
Photo source: The National Gallery.
Copy
The Cornfield (ca.1907)
after John Constable (1776-1837), made by Bertram Couldery (1839-1911)
Oil on canvas
The Couldery Collection, Glanmore National Historic Site of Canada
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Original
The Cornfield (1826)
John Constable, 1776-1837
Oil on canvas
The National Gallery, London, England, United Kingdom
The original was painted by Constable in 1826 and exhibited at the Royal Academy in London, England that same year. It is in the collection at the National Gallery in London. It is often referred to as “The Drinking Boy” as it depicts a boy leaning over to drink from a stream in the foreground.
Photo source: The National Gallery.
Copy
Time of War
after Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-1873), made by Bertram Couldery (1839-1911)
Oil on canvas
The Couldery Collection, Glanmore National Historic Site of Canada.
Print, ca. 1848-1850
Time of War (1848-1850)
after Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-1873), made by Thomas Lewis Atkinson (1817-1898)
Print
The British Museum, London, England, United Kingdom
The original painting was exhibited with Time of Peace at the Royal Academy in London, England in 1846. It was believed to have been destroyed in a flood in 1928, however recently a version of the painting has come under investigation, as it may hold potential for being the original copy. The investigation is ongoing. Landseer studied at the Royal Academy Schools and had his first work exhibited at age 13.
Photo source: The British Museum.
Copy
Time of Peace
after Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-1873), made by Bertram Couldery (1839-1911)
Oil on canvas
The Couldery Collection, Glanmore National Historic Site of Canada.
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Collotype, ca. late 19th century
Time of Peace (late 19th century)
after Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-1873), made by unknown (1817-1898)
Collotype
J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California, United States
This painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in London, England in 1846. It was paired with Time of War. The original painting was destroyed in a flood in 1928.
Photo source: J. Paul Getty Museum.
Copy
Dignity and Impudence
after Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-1873), made by Bertram Couldery (1839-1911)
Oil on canvas
The Couldery Collection, Glanmore National Historic Site of Canada.
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Original
Dignity and Impudence (1839)
Sir Edwin Landseer, 1802-1873
Oil on canvas
Tate Collection, London, England, United Kingdom
This copy is a study of the bloodhound pictured in the original painting completed in 1839. The original is in the collection at the Tate Britain in London, England.
Photo source: Tate Collection
Contact Us
Glanmore National Historic Site of Canada
257 Bridge Street East
Belleville, ON, K8N 1P4
Phone: 613-962-2329
Fax: 613-962-6340
Email: glanmoreinfo@belleville.ca
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