ARBUCKLE Franklin

ARBUCKLE George Franklin

A person sitting in front of a painting Description automatically generated                                  Maclean’s, 1 June 1954: 95. Arbuckle and his 59th cover for Maclean’s which is the cover for “The White and the Gold” 15 March 1954.

Illustration is an honest and skilled job. I’ve found it more so than some fine art.  For instance I was marketing some of my paintings through a dealer and he told  me ‘Those Laurentian scenes are going well. Why don’t you do some more.’ Well  that would be commercial art in the worst sense. That’s prostitution. But think of the pressure to do just that, if you’re trying to support a family on painting alone. That’s why illustration is more honest. It’s not pretending …. I think now that ideally I’d like to spend fifty percent of my time on illustration earning just enough so I could paint exactly as I like the rest of the time. ”

Franklin Arbuckle. Maclean’s 28 February 1959: 48.

Born in Toronto 17 February 1909.

In 1927 he enrolled at the Ontario College of Art on a scholarship. He studied under Group of Seven artist, J.E.H. MacDonald, graduating in 1932. C.W. Jefferies was another important influence. Franklin has said of Jefferies, in Maclean’s 1 June 1954, “One of the greatest things that happened to me as a young artist was to have as a friend the late C. W. Jefferies, the great Canadian artist-historian”. In 1930 before he graduated, he opened his own studio and started making his living selling paintings. In 1932 he became a member of the Ontario Society of Artists.

At the OCA, he met Frances-Anne Johnston, daughter of Group of Seven founder Franz Johnson. She was also a scholarship student. They married in 1934 and together went on outdoor painting trips until their first daughter was born. Frances-Anne then turned to painting interiors and still life. In the early years of their marriage, they survived by going to Georgian Bay in the summers, teaching at Franz Johnston’s art school in exchange for room and board. In the winter, in addition to their art sales, Franklin taught nights at the Northern Vocational School and Frances-Anne had a thriving business selling hand made Christmas cards. They also entered the bartering system, trading paintings for meals, furniture, dental work. Franklin remarked, “Trading saved our lives. We never actually starved but, well, it was the depression …” In 1937, Franklin was elected an associate of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Frances-Anne as well later became an associate.

World War 2 dried up the market for fine art and so Franklin hired on as a graphic designer for Bomac Federal Ltd. He was transferred by that company to Montréal in 1941. Another year of change was 1944, he became a freelancer and his first cover appeared on Maclean’s 15 February 1944. This cover was followed by over a hundred during the 1940’s and 1950’s. The covers have stories of their own. His cover painting of Foster Hewitt in the gondola has become iconic. For another cover his selection of the Toronto Maple Leafs as a subject caused tension with his daughter, a Canadiens fan who felt betrayed. Family members and friends posed for many of his illustrations. Frances-Anne posed as the martyr at the stake for “Pt. 4: The exalted deaths of the Midland martyrs” of The White and The Gold series. He returned to outdoor painting when on a sketching trip down the Mackenzie River for the illustrations appearing with that article.

In 1945, Franklin became a full member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. He was awarded the Montreal Art Directors’ Club “Plaque For Achievement” for his cover painting for Maclean’s 15 July 1952. He returned to Toronto in 1958. In the 1960’s, he taught at the Ontario College of Art where he established the Florence School that allowed OCA student to study in Italy. He was made President of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts from 1960 to 1964. He painted murals for the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa and the City Hall in Hamilton and designed tapestries for the Royal Bank of Canada in Toronto, and the Chateau Champlain in in Montréal. His watercolours were given a show at Kleinberg Ontario in 1996.

He died 29 July 2001 in Toronto at age 92 years. Frances-Anne preceded him in 1987 at 77 years.

Several comments that Franklin and Frances-Anne made during their interview with Barbara Moses are worth quoting for their applicability to artists in general.

“A lack of security is something an artist has to make up his mind to put up with.” Commented Franklin. “Yes, an artist’s freedom has to be paid for in some way.” Added Frances.

*************

“I always have jobs piled up ahead. I’ve been working ten and twelve hours a day for years.” (Franklin).                                                                                                              “Twelve Hours?” (Frances-Anne) “Sixteen! Sundays the same as any other day. You just can’t do that to yourself.”                                                                                              “I’m just so bloody tired. I’ve suffered in the last six months from a great desire not to paint.                                                                                                                                    “Because your tired.”                                                                                                          “I’ll get over it. I have to. The wolf’s at the door.”

And apparently he did.

WORK:

ILLUSTRATOR:

BOOK TEXT:

Content history:

Canada’s First Bank. Writ., Merrill Denison. McClelland & Stewart, 1966. Painting:  “Enroute to New York on International Business”: 269.Part of a group of artists: Lorne Bouchard, Douglas Johnson, Bruce Johnson, Will Davies, William Kurelek, Henry Simpkins, Stuart Main, Gerald L. Sevier, Roy Hewitson , James Walker, Jack Tremblay, Fred Oakley, Don Anderson, Alex Taylor, Tom McNeely, Lewis Parker, Huntley Brown, Jerry Lazare commissioned for this work.

PERIODICAL TEXT:

Content essay:

Maclean’s, 28 February 1959:                                                                                                     “The living mystery of the Rockies”. Writ., Marjory Hall: 15, 16-17, 18.                               “The day I saw the Rockies’ secret”. Writ., Bruce Hutchison: 19.

Maclean’s,11 April 1959: “The Rivers Of Canada: The high and mighty Mackenzie”. Writ., Hugh MacLennan: 18-19, 20, 21. He was part of the team of artists including, Gabriel Bastien, Robert Bruce, Alex Colville, Gordon Smith, William Winter who illustrated this series on “Rivers of Canada” by Hugh MacLennan.

Maclean’s, 9 May 1959: “Nathalie was my first love”. Writ., Marcel Dube: 31.

Content history:

Maclean’s 28 September 1957: “William Lawrence and his wonderful windjammer”. Writ., Joseph Schull: 26-27.

Historical Series -The White and the Gold, Writer Thomas B. Costain:

Maclean’s, 1 March 1954: Advertisement: 60.

Content & Cover:

Maclean’s, 15 March 1954: “Pt. 1: Champlain: The Man Who Came To Stay”: 9, 10, 11, 12-13.

Content:

Maclean’s, 1 April 1954: “Pt. 2: How Richelieu Spun his Web”: 12=13.

Maclean’s, 15 April 1954: “Pt. 3: Montreal Can Never Survive”: 14-15.

Maclean’s, 1 May 1954: “Pt. 4: The exalted deaths of the Midland martyrs”: 14, 15, 32.

Maclean’s, 15 May 1954: “Pt. 5: The Heroic Stand at Long Sault”: 16-17.

Maclean’s, 1 June 1954: “Pt. 6: The Embattled ‘Angel of Heaven’”: 14, 15.

Maclean’s, 15 June 1954: “Pt. 7: The Greatest State in the World”: 16-17.

Maclean’s, 1 July 1954: “Pt. 8: “Canada’s First Big Businessman”: 16, 17.

Maclean’s, 15 July 1954: “Pt. 9: A Cargo of Brides”: 13-14.

Maclean’s, 1 August 1954: “Pt. 10: The Outlawed Lords of the Forest”: 22-23.45.

Maclean’s, 15 August 1954: “Pt. 11: Radisson & Groseilliers-Those Magnificent Vagabonds”: 18-19.

Maclean’s, 1 September 1954: “Pt. 12: Frontenac-The Hero who had no friends”: 22-23.

Maclean’s, 15 September 1954: “Pt. 13: The Mad Visions of LaSalle”: 30-31.

Maclean’s, 1 October 1954: “Pt. 14: The Massacre at Lachine”: 24-25, 48.

Maclean’s, 15 October 1954: Pt. 15: The fabulous family of Le Moyne”: 38-39.

Content essay & Cover:

 Maclean’s, 25 June 1955: “the land of eternal change”. Writ., Ralph Allen: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14-15, 16, 76, 78-79, 80.  

Cover: 

Maclean’s, ….
…, 1 June 1953.

 

…, 3 September 1955.             See also p. 60.    

SOURCE:

Article book:

Canadian War Posters. Writ., Marc H Choko. Worth Press Ltd., 2012: 131 (poster):169.

Article periodical:

Maclean’s, 1 August 1953: “Maclean’s congratulates its contributors and editors on winning the following awards”: 47.

Maclean’s, 1 June 1954: “In Editors’ Confidence- Ten Years With Archie”: 95.

Maclean’s, 28 February 1959: “The Franklin Arbuckles”. Writ., Barbara Moses: 20-21, 46-48.

Maclean’s, 11 April 1959: “In The Editors’ Confidence: Cruising down the rivers with Maclean’s”: 87.

Maclean’s 21 November 1959: “In The Editors’ Confidence: “One author six artists and Canada’s Rivers”: 95.

Maclean’s, 13 August 2001: “From the Editor: Canada through the eyes of Arbuckle”: 2

“Passion For Canada” Writ., Michael Benedict: 48-49.

Article newspaper:

Expositor [Brantford], 14 September 2001: “Artist Arbuckle painted over 100 Maclean’s covers”. Canadian Press.