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In 1839, Caddy took part in an expedition near Belize where he made some of the first drawings of the newly discovered ruins of the Mayan city of Palanque. Caddy won numerous awards for his meticulous landscapes, animals, and flower studies. John Herbert Caddy began military training at the Royal Military Academy in England and in 1816 he was enlisted at the academy as a gentleman Cadet in the Royal artillery and was further trained as an engineer and cannoneer. Like many former Canadian military artists, Caddy trained in topographical sketching and painting. In 1825 he was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant, in 1827 promoted to 1st Lieutenant, and in 1840 he was promoted to Captain and posted to London. During his military career he was involved in two tours of duty with the Royal Academy in the West Indies and in British Honduras, where he recorded in drawing an expedition to the Mayan ruins at Palenque. In 1851 he moved to Hamilton, Ontario where he continued working as a civil engineer until he decided to turn his focus to his passion, art. He opened a studio, giving private lessons and became an instructor at Wesleyan Female College (Hamilton Ladies College). Caddy’s works developed very slowly and carefully starting from pencil sketches made on the scene working through sepia drafts until the finished product. It is noted that he often completed several versions of the finished landscapes, but rarely did he sign his works. From 1858-1868 Caddy exhibited his watercolours and oils, winning awards for his meticulous landscapes, animals, and flower studies. Numerous watercolours of Canadian landscapes give evidence of travel from Fort William to Québec, with concentration in the Hamilton-Niagara Falls region. His powers of observation, love of nature, touch of romanticism and his disciplined training as an engineer imbue his work with both charm and topographical accuracy. His works are held in many private and public collections across the country. The watercolour in the AGA’s permanent collection depicts how Sault Ste. Marie looked in the nineteenth century. Caddy travelled through on his way to Fort William in the 1870s and recorded his impressions of the rapids from the shoreline near the foot of Bruce Street. The painting shows the sawmill and, in the distance, a light on the westerly tip of an island that warned mariners of the rapids. John Herbert Caddy was born in Quebec City in 1801. He began military training at the Royal Military Academy in England and in 1816 he was enlisted at the academy as a gentleman Cadet in the Royal artillery and was further trained as an engineer and cannoneer. In 1825 he was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant, in 1827 promoted to 1st Lieutenant, and in 1840 he was promoted to Captain and posted to London. During his military career he was involved in two tours of duty with the Royal Academy in the West Indies and in British Honduras, where he recorded in drawing an expedition to the Mayan ruins at Palenque. In 1844 Caddy retired on half pay from the military settling in London, Ontario. He worked as a civil engineer laying plans for the growing community. In 1851 he moved to Hamilton, Ontario where he continued working as a civil engineer until he decided to turn his focus to his passion, art. From 1858-1868 Caddy exhibited his watercolours and oils, winning awards for his meticulous landscapes, animals, and flower studies. Caddy died in 1887 in Hamilton, ON. |
John Herbert Caddy (Canadian, 1801-1887)
View of the Sault Rapids,
Watercolour
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GET INSPIRED
Colouring Sheet
Print off, colour in, and make it your own! Share your creations on our Art and Discovery Facebook event page.
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Get Inspired to Create a Landscape
Try this creative activity based on the artwork! Share your creations on our Art and Discovery Facebook event page.
John Herbert Caddy painted detailed landscapes of the world as he travelled and explored. He even made some of the first drawings of places that had never been seen before! What kind of place would you like to travel to or explore and how would you draw it?
SUPPLIES
- Sheets of Paper
- Pencils
- Erasers
- Pencil crayons or Crayons
INSTRUCTIONS
- Before you start to draw your fantastic new world start by sketching or even writing out your ideas. What do the plants look like? Are there buildings? Animals? What colour is the sky?
- Once you have your ideas together start by lightly drawing out a landscape of your newly explored world. You want to use the pencil lightly, so it is easy to erase if you want to change anything!
- Try out a couple different ideas until you are happy with your world.
- Finally add colour to make your world come alive and remember this is your world so be creative!
Now you're done! Admire your work and don't forget to share your artwork on our event page. We can't wait to see what you create!
Get Inspired By Where You Live
Try this creative activity based on the artwork! Share your creations on our Art and Discovery Facebook event page.
While we don’t have the exact date of John Herbert Caddy’s painting of the Sault Rapids, we know it had to be painted over 100 years ago! His painting can show how much has changed in Sault Ste. Marie since then, and who knows what Sault Ste. Marie could look like in another 100 years!
SUPPLIES
- Pencil or pen
- Paper or notebook
- OR a computer or tablet with a word processing software/app
INSTRUCTIONS
- Take some time to look at View of the Sault Rapids by John Herbert Caddy, think about everything that has changed.
- Take some time to consider, if things changed again in 100 years, what are some important things you would want people to know about the place you live in right now!
- Write a story describing what it’s like to live in your town and what’s important about it to you right now.
Now you're done! Admire your work and don't forget to share your writing on our event page. We can't wait to see what you create!
