Coeur de Lion MacCarthy grew up surrounded by celebrated sculptors, receiving his training in the Toronto studio of his British born father, Hamilton Plantagenet MacCarthy, as well as in the studio of Franklin Brownell. (In case you are curious about his name: King Richard I, the son of King Henry II, the first Plantagenet, was called the Richard "the Lion Hearted" or "Coeur de Lion." )

Among Coeur de Lion's first artistic productions were a bronze bust of Sir Wilfred Laurier and one of Sir John A. MacDonald. He created the bust of Queen Victoria for the alcove above the Speaker's chair in the Senate Chamber. With the Dominion Carver, Cléophas Soucy, he made many other contributions carved in the Parliament Buildings from his models, such as the lion shown here guarding the entrance.

While his busts were recognized for their superior style and technique, his war memorials garnered him the most attention. One of Quebéc's most prominent sculptors, Coeur de Lion moved to Montréal in about 1918 to establish his own studio. He created numerous memorials including monuments in Trois Rivières and Knowlton, as well as the Verdun War Memorial. Perhaps his most poignant sculpture is the Great War Memorial shown here, to employees of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The "CPR Memorial was cast in an edition of three and installed in Vancouver (1921), Winnipeg (1922), and Montréal's Windsor Station in 1923." (Millar)

References:
Hayward Collection of Slides and Documentation at Concordia University.
MacDonald, Colin A Dictionary of Canadian Artists. Ottawa: Canadian Paperbacks Publishing Ltd., 1967–.
Millar, Joyce. Oxford History of Sculpture in Canada. (In press)

LINK TO RELATED CANADA'S DIGITAL COLLECTIONS WEBPAGE:
Canadian Sculpture: Brault and Hayward Collections. Use the database to find out about works by Coeur de Lion MacCarthy.

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