Alexander M. Fleming (1875/1876/1878 – 1929) (1)

A Canadian painter and educator, Alexander M. Fleming (aka: A.M. Fleming) was born in Chatham, Ontario and died in Belfountain, Ontario (about 160 miles north east of Chatham), where he had lived for several years. He exhibited with the Ontario Society of Artists*, with the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts*, and with the Art Association of Montreal. His works are in the permanent collections of The Market Gallery (Toronto) and Thames Art Gallery (Chatham, Ontario). (1)

His mediums included oils and watercolors. His subjects were landscapes, marine scenes, still life and genre* (frequently of fishing and farming). In addition to Ontario, his painting’s locations are from his travels to England, France, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, Holland, Maine (USA) and New Jersey (USA). His styles could be described as Barbizon School*, Impressionism*, Plein-Air Painting* and Realism*. The askART auction results have some excellent illustrations of his work. The website of the Thames Art Gallery, which has the largest public collection of Fleming's works, has illustrations of over sixty of his paintings (see sources for link).

He began his formal art studies in 1895 at the Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia [now The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts*] and later studied at the Royal Academy of Arts*, London, England. While he is not generally considered a teacher he is noted as one of Hortense Gordon’s (Painters Eleven*) teachers in Chatham.

Fleming exhibited frequently with the Ontario Society of Artists* (1905, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1922, 1925 and 1928), several times with the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts* (1904, 1906 and 1918), and at least once at the Art Association of Montreal [now Montreal Museum of Fine Arts] (1909) and at the Canadian National Exhibition [Toronto] (1909). (2)(3)

In 1997, he was the subject of a retrospective exhibition entitled “A.M. Fleming: a man of his time, 1875 – 1929” at the Thames Art Gallery, Chatham, Ontario.

Footnotes:
(1) Researchers please note: Our sources report three different birth years for this artist: 1875 (Thames Art Gallery), 1876 (Biographical Index of Artists in Canada and Canadian Landscape Painters), and 1878 (The Collector's Dictionary of Canadian Artists at Auction); and, two places where he died: Belfountain, Ontario (Thames Art Gallery) and Guelph, Ontario (“Biographical Index of Artists in Canada”). We do not know which year is correct nor do we know which town is correct; however, the two towns are less than 25 miles apart in a relatively rural area of Ontario. – M.D. Silverbrooke

(2) Researchers please note: In a lengthy 1909 story about Fleming in The Farmer's Advocate” (see sources below), the reporter says that Fleming is a member of the Ontario Society of Artists*; and, the Thames Art Gallery and the The Collector's Dictionary of Canadian Artists at Auction (see sources below) also say he was a member of the O.S.A. However, the O.S.A. website’s extensive list of deceased members does not include Fleming’s name; and, the only three O.S.A. exhibition catalogues (1922, 1925 and 1928) which note O.S.A. membership next to the exhibiting artist’s name do not have “O.S.A.” after Fleming’s name; and, "The Fine Arts in Canada" (see sources below) does not say Fleming was a member of the O.S.A., as it does for some other artists. – M.D. Silverbrooke

(3) Researchers please note: Fleming likely exhibited for several years at the Canadian National Exhibition: Our source for the one date is a story in The Farmer's Advocate about the 1909 CNE exhibition; but, it refers to “…[his] works attracting more and more attention each year at the big Toronto Fair...." Source: Mr. A.M. Fleming and His Work (see sources below). – M.D. Silverbrooke

Sources – Books:
Biographical Index of Artists in Canada (2003), by Evelyn de Rostaing McMann (see askART Publications)

The Collector's Dictionary of Canadian Artists at Auction (2001), by Anthony R. Westbridge and Diana L. Bodnar (see askART Publications)

A.M. Fleming: a man of his time, 1875 – 1929: a retrospective exhibition (1997), by Sheelagh Carroll de Sousa; Thames Art Gallery, Chatham, Ontario

Royal Canadian Academy of Arts: Exhibitions and Members, 1880 – 1979 (1997), by Evelyn de R. McMann, University of Toronto Press

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts: Spring Exhibitions 1880 – 1970 (1988), by Evelyn de R. McMann (see askART Publications)

Royal Canadian Academy of Arts: Exhibitions and Members, 1880 – 1979 (1981), by Evelyn de R. McMann (see askART Publications)

Creative Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Twentieth Century Creative and Performing Arts (1972), by Helen M. Rodney; University of Toronto Press [see Hortense Gordon]

A Guide to Canadian Painters (1940), by Margaret E. Hughes; King's Printer, Toronto

Canadian Landscape Painters (1932), by A.H. Robson; Ryerson, Toronto

The Fine Arts in Canada (1925), by Newton MacTavish (see askART Publications)

Catalogue of the Thirty-First Exhibition of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (1909), by Royal Canadian Academy of Arts; Published by Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (17 pgs., text)

Sources – Articles:
"Fleming painting makes its way back to C-K from the U.K.” by Diana Martin, Chatham Daily News, Chatham, Ontario, August 9, 2013

"Mr. A.M. Fleming and His Work" (pages 1598 and 1599) The Farmer's Advocate and Home Magazine, London, Ontario, October 7, 1909

Sources – Websites:
Canadian Heritage Information Network*

Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art* (online O.S.A. exhibition catalogues)

Smithsonian Institution Research Information System*

Ontario Society of Artists*
Thames Art Gallery – link http://vitacollections.ca/ThamesArtGallery/results?q=a+m+fleming&st=kw

* For more in-depth information about these terms and others, see AskART.com. Glossary http://www.askart.com/AskART/lists/Art_Definition.aspx

Written and contributed to askART by M.D. Silverbrooke.