Miniature painting, while commonly believed to have originated its name from its size, is actually named for minium, a red lead used in illuminated medieval manuscripts. That said, the tradition of miniature painting and its small size, has played a significant part in society for centuries. Little and highly portable, miniatures were hidden in lockets, pockets, and handbags. The form was even popularized by British royals, like Elizabeth I and the famous six wives of her father Henry VII, who all sat for miniature portraits. In a sense, miniatures could be seen as intimate and sentimental to the owner or painter, uncovering aspects of their personal life and what they hold dear.
This tradition later influenced Bruce County artist Hannah Rusk Kelly (1859-1935). Hannah specialized in miniature and portrait painting, with many of her miniatures and larger paintings featuring the flowers and landscapes of Bruce County. One Bruce landscape is featured in a large pastel painting and a miniature watercolour painting, both titled “Road to Gobles Grove” (n.d.). The gold-framed miniature version measures at a mere 8.6 x 7.7 centimetres. Imagine, being able to hold a painted Bruce County landscape in the palms of your hands! It is intriguing to think about the life experiences that informed Hannah’s desire to paint this local subject matter on such a personal scale.
Hannah was born on October 22, 1859, in Elderslie Township, Ontario to William and Sarah Jane (McLaughlin) Rusk. William and Sarah Jane had a large family, with Hannah being one of ten children. During her youth, the family lived on a farm on Lot 7, Concession 10 in Elderslie Township. Hannah’s father was a creative individual like his daughter. William innovatively made a wooden pump on their farm. This led to the family moving to Paisley and the production of the popular Rusk pump at the Paisley Pump Works.
Realizing her own dreams, Hannah left Paisley to pursue a career in art. She attended art schools in Hamilton, Toronto, Boston (New England Conservatory of Art), and Philadelphia, and in 1887, she opened an art studio in Hamilton. She later finished her training in Paris, France, at the Académie Colarossi. While in Paris, she achieved a feat few Canadians have; four of her paintings were hung in the Paris Salon. It was also in Paris where she met her husband, Reverend Samuel Philip Kelly, an American Episcopal minister. They married in 1897 in Philadelphia.
Throughout the years, The Paisley Advocate proudly published some updates on Hannah’s success. The April 26, 1906 issue states: “Mrs. S.P. Kelly, of Philadelphia, (nee Miss Hannah Rusk, of Paisley), has won recognition as an artist in the Quaker city [Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.]. She had a miniature accepted for a recent exhibition at the Academy of Fine Arts, and also had a watercolor and a miniature in an exhibition at the Art Club in that city” (p.1).
Hannah eventually moved back to Hamilton after the death of her husband. Here she was an active member of the Women’s Art Association of Hamilton and continued to paint miniatures on ivory, as well as portraits. Hannah died on June 19, 1935, in Hamilton. She is buried here in Bruce County, in the Rusk Family plot at Paisley Cemetery.
While Hannah left Bruce County to (successfully) chase her dreams, throughout her career, Bruce was always close by. This was not only evident through local newspaper updates, but also through the subject matter of her paintings, including her intimately sized Bruce County miniatures.
Sources:
Burton, Sue. “The Techniques of Painting Miniatures.” London: Batsford, 1995. Internet Archive, https://archive.org/details/techniquesofpain00sueb/mode/2up, accessed March 16, 2023.
Elderslie Historical Society. “A History of Elderslie Township 1851-1977.” Chesley: Elderslie Historical Society, 1977. Print.
Hannah Rusk – Samuel Philip Kelly. U.S. marriage index, license 91820 (1897), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ancestry.ca, accessed 2023.
“Hannah Rusk Kelly.” Find a Grave Memorial 154984658, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/154984658/hannah-kelly , accessed March 16, 2023.
Kelly, Hannah Rusk, Ontario death registration 037436 (1935), Wentworth County, City of Hamilton, Ontario, ancestry.ca., accessed 2023.
“Local and District News,” The Paisley Advocate, 26 April 1906, p. 1.
MacKinnon, Judy. “Hannah Rusk Kelly.” The Bruce County Historical Society Yearbook 2010, pp. 19-21.
Rusk Kelly, Hannah. “Road to Gobbles Grove [Gobles Grove]” [painting]. Hannah Rusk Kelly fonds. A2009.064.002, Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre.
Rusk Kelly, Hannah. “Road to Gobles Grove” [painting]. Hannah Rusk Kelly fonds. A2006.026.001, Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre.
Samuel Kelly household, 1900 United States Census, Philadelphia Ward 34, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ancestry.ca, accessed 2023. [This census lists birth date of October 1859]
William Rusk Household, 1871 Census of Canada, Bruce North, Paisley, ancestry.ca, accessed 2023.
William Rusk Household, 1891 Census of Canada, Bruce North, Paisley, ancestry.ca, accessed 2023.
Images from Hannah Rusk Kelly fonds:
Rusk Kelly, Hannah. “Frank Fred Carter” [painting]. Hannah Rusk Kelly fonds. A2010.071.003, Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre.
Rusk Kelly, Hannah. “Road to Gobbles Grove [Gobles Grove]” [painting]. Hannah Rusk Kelly fonds. A2009.064.002, Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre.
Rusk Kelly, Hannah. “Road to Gobles Grove” [painting]. Hannah Rusk Kelly fonds. A2006.026.001, Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre.
Rusk Kelly, Hannah. Untitled [painting]. Hannah Rusk Kelly fonds. A2008.071.004, Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre.
Rusk Kelly, Hannah. Untitled [painting]. Hannah Rusk Kelly fonds. A2008.071.006, Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre.
