James Hamilton
James Hamilton (1810-1896) was born in London, England and came to Upper Canada in 1829 with his family. The family eventually moved to Toronto in the 1830s where Hamilton refined his talent for water colour and oil painting. He became involved in the Society of Artists and Amateurs of Toronto, the city’s first artist’s organization in 1834. Hamilton exhibited with the group and was praised for his draftsmanship and skilful compositions of local scenes and copies from abroad. He exhibited sporadically because he worked throughout his life in banking and business. When the Bank of Upper Canada transferred him to London, Ontario, he became a leading figure in the local business community, as well as an active member of the Anglican Church. His paintings of the nearby landscape of London owe a great deal to the picturesque conventions of British art, and demonstrate a remarkable talent for someone who has been referred to as a “Sunday Painter.”
Link to bio from Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
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