James Lillie Graham

1873-1971

James Lillie Graham was born in Belleville, Ontario. He studied at the Art Association of Montreal under William Brymner and took evening classes at the Council of Arts and Manufactures under Edmond Dyonnet. He started exhibiting works at the Art Association of Montreal’s Spring Shows in 1891 and was awarded student’s 1st prize the following year. In 1892, he started exhibiting at the Royal Canadian Academy shows and was made an associate of the RCA in 1894. Graham exhibited at the AAM and the RCA regularly until his departure for England in 1896 but kept participating at the shows occasionally while in Europe.

In London, England, he furthered his studies at the Slade School of Art under Fred Brown and Henry Tonks. While in London, Graham worked as a commercial artist for London lithographers during a period of seven years, and like many of his contemporaries, he found inspiration at nearby Epping Forest where he painted landscapes. After his stay in England, he studied in Paris at Académie Julian under Jean-Paul Laurens and in Antwerp, Belgium, at Institut des Beaux-Arts under Julian De Vriend. After spending thirteen years in Europe, Graham returned to Canada in 1910.

Upon his arrival, Graham exhibited his work “The Prodigal Son” at the Art Association of Montreal and won the Jessie Dow Prize for oils. In the years that followed, Graham became well known for his landscapes with animals and pastoral scenes. He showed paintings with the Canadian Art Club (1907-1915) along side Maurice Cullen, Clarence Gagnon, Homer Watson, Horatio Walker, James W. Morrice, Laura Muntz, Robert Harris, Adrien Hébert and others, while still participating actively to the Art Association of Montreal’s Spring Shows and the Royal Canadian Academy’s annual shows. He was awarded a second Jessie Dow Prize in 1924, became a senior Academician in 1942 and over the years, many museums acquired some of his works.

In 1965, at age 92, Graham disappeared in the Gatineau hills while on visit to his nephew’s Danford Lake cottage. As he was never found, he was declared dead in 1971.

Collections:

- National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa, ON)
- Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Montreal, QC)
- Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto, ON)
- Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec (Quebec City, QC)

Affiliations:

- Associate of the Royal Canadian Academy (1894)
- Royal Canadian Academy (1942)
- Canadian Art Club