Joachim Gauthier
R.C.A., O.S.A.,
C.S.P.W.C.
(1897 - 1988)
Artist - Painter
Joachim was the sixth sibling in a family of nine
children raised in North Bay Ontario. His father, Octave and mother Clara Viau were first
generation Ontarians, with family roots in Quebec, as far back as the early 1600’s,
when the first Gauthier’s’ emigrated from the Charente-Maritime
region of France, during Champlain’s tenure in the new French colony.
Joachim’s introduction to art was his natural creative talent. While attending St.
Mary’s’ School at the age of seven, he received an award of excellence for
illustrating a religious theme in chalk on the class blackboard. His prize was a volume on
Raphael, the Renaissance painter. Unbeknown to young Joachim, the influence of Raphael, as
well as other figurative painters, would lead him to become, in later years an excellent
draftsman of the portrait idiom. Examples of his portraiture are in evidence at the
McMichael Canadian Collection, in the form of the Group of Seven and their contemporaries.
Joachim left school after grade eight and as was the custom in the early 1900’s in a
large family; the boys sought out employment, to assist in the welfare of the progeny.
Joe’s application to the Timiskaming and Northern Railway, as a filing clerk, earned
him a railway pass in 1914, to travel to Tacoma Washington to visit his eldest sister,
Alice. Joe’s brother, Leo. was in the sign writing trade in North Bay and had
instructed his younger brother in the discipline. Joe obtained a position as an apprentice
sign writer with the Cliff Sign Company. During the next few years while in Tacoma, his
drawing skills were further honed by his attendance in life drawing classes, under a noted
Washington sculptor, Victor Alonzo Lewis.
On weekends, Joe often sketched around Tacoma and Seattle, and along with other
contemporaries, would sojourn to the coastal mountains in the Olympic peninsula. While
working in the sign trade, he was initiated into the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators
and Paperhangers of America. While in the United States, Uncle Sam sent him a draft notice
for entry into the Armed Forces and he did contemplate joining the U.S. Navy but decided
to return home to North Bay. In 1921, while engaged in the sign writing trade in Sudbury,
Joachim met Leonie Quesnel and after several years of courtship, married and moved to
Hamilton, Ontario. Employed by the Tucket Tobacco Company, he learned the silk screen
printing techniques and gold leaf lettering that was common in storefront addresses at the
time. Along with advertising illustrations for Navy Cut (now Players), Winchester,
Buckingham and Sportsman cigarettes; earned him a position with Sampson Matthews Ltd., in
Toronto in 1925. C.A.G.Matthews had a very discerning eye for new talent and he was
impressed with Joe’s abilities and skills in Silk Screen and Illustrating Design and
placed Joe under the wing of chief designer, Frank Carmichael. With a new baby, Estelle
arriving. Joachim and Leonie settled in the east end of Toronto, along the Danforth and
then to north Toronto, where the emergence of four more siblings; Clare, Paul, Edmond and
Rosalie, over the years solidified their family life in the community.
Sampson Matthews was one of four established printing houses, including, Rous and Mann,
The Grip, and Brigdens who employed an impressive list of artista; some of which were
members of the Group of Seven and many contemporaries. Such notables were; Tom Thomson,
Fred Varley, Arthur Lismer, Frank Carmichael, A.J. Casson, Syd Hallam, Tom Mclean, Herb
Palmer, John Clymer, Fred Haines, Alec Panton. J.E.H. MacDonald and A.Y.Jackson freelanced
with Sampson Matthews on special assignments.
The list of clients that Joachim and his fellow artists had illustrated and designed
labels and packaging for, included; Neilson’s, Massey Ferguson, Purity Flour, Salada
Tea, Ford Motors, Toronto Dominion Bank, Schiffer-Hillman Clothes, Labatts Brewery among
many others. Beyond their illustrative accomplishments, Chuck Matthews encouraged his
artists to paint and exhibit works for the art institutions, which included, The Royal
Canadian Academy and the Ontario Society of Artists. Joachim became a chartered member of
the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolor in 1928 and was active in the society until
the 1960’s. Joachim’s close sketching and painting companions were undoubtedly,
Frank Carmichael and A.J. Casson. Their relationship and friendship developed out of a
common bond in capturing the northern communities and wilderness areas in Ontario in pleine aire. On an a number of occasions, A.Y. Jackson would join
the artists in their yearly fall sketching excursions to the farm communities of the
Madawaska, Haliburton and Muskoka.
In 1976, a northern Ontario painting of Joachim was presented to His Holiness Pope Paul
VI, when then premier Davis visited the Vatican.
