BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

Francis Noel Bursill

dates

B.C. Society of Fine Arts


Francis Noel Bursill was the son of J. Francis Bursill, a columnist who wrote for the Vancouver Sun under the name "Felix Penne".

Bursill received his art training in London, according to an exhibition review, but further research is necessary. He exhibited in the First Annual exhibition of the B.C. Society of Fine Arts in 1909. He was wounded in World War One, but returned to Vancouver where he continued his writing and art career.

In 1926 he drew a pen & ink illustration for the cover of the first issue of Museum Notes, published by the Art, Historical & Scientific Association of Vancouver.


GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK
1909 April 20 - 28 BCSFA   First Annual Exhibition Come Fill The Cup (Omar Khayyam)
The Pied Piper
The King's Jester
Ralph Waldo Emerson (relief)
Fisherman And The Genie
Boat House, North Vancouver
By The Mill
An Old Timer, Vancouver
The Players
Nora
1909 November BCSFA    Second Exhibition Head of Hindu
Illustration of "Maud Muller"
Scene from "As You Like It", Touchstone and Andrey
Prospero & Caliban, "The Tempest"
Fall (magazine cover)
1910 May BCSFA   Third Exhibition Indian Mission, N. Vancouver
Burnaby Lake
Design for Fan
Design for Diamond Adv.
Vancouver, B.C., Poster
1911 November BCSFA   Fall Exhibition ?

References

THE FINE ARTS IN VANCOUVER, 1886 - 1930 (refer to THOM69)

ARTISTS IN CANADA 1982 - UNION LIST OF ARTISTS' FILES (refer to AIC82)

A CENTURY OF SCULPTURE (refer to SSBC98)

Clippings

"The outcome of various meetings since last May was a united one held last week, when the following list of members of the new undertaking passed muster and various other inaugural business was done. It is intended to limit the membership of the B.C. Society of Fine Arts - that is the appellation chosen - to 36 members. The names are Messrs. ... Noel Bursill, ... "
      From "Society of Fine Arts"
      Victoria Times, November 20 1908

"Vancouverites of the future will be glad that ... Francis Noel Bursill and other Vancouver artists find imagination in local scenes."
      From "Vancouver Studio Club Spring Exhibition"
      B.C. Saturday Sunset, July 3 1909

"Noel Bursill's training as an artist was obtained in London. His black and white work is excellent, and he has a peculiarly good sense of color, which, when displayed in an imaginative subject, is particularly pleasing."
      From "Art in British Columbia" by Bernard McEvoy
      Opportunities Magazine, 1910

"This year's exhibitors were ... Noel Bursell ... "
      From "Fine Arts Society Makes Fine Exhibit"
      Vancouver Daily World, November 23 1911

"He has fortunately been able to save his eyesight, but was severely wounded in the face, chin and throat ... "
      From "Artists in Trenches"
      Vancouver Daily World, July 28 1917

"Though but a small organization, numerically considered, the B.C. Society of Fine Arts has had the honor of contributing its quota of members to engage in the determined and now successful fight for freedom and civilization. It may be said that all those belonging to this artistic fraternity have helped in various ways, but those marked out for special recognition are:
     NOEL BURSILL, son of the Editor of this book and a valued member in the early days of the Society, when his pictures, full of imagination and color, roused great interest at the exhibitors. Noel Bursill, who has been wounded and earned his Gold Stripe, contributes drawings to this book."
     From Honor Roll - B.C. Society of Fine Arts
     The Gold Stripe, Volume One, Christmas 1918

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