Rozaire, Arthur Dominique, 1879-1922

Arthur Dominique Rozaire (Rosaire) was born in Montreal, Canada on January 17, 1879 to Dominique Joseph Francois Rosaire, a decorative designer, and Mary Hammall. Rozaire attended the Quebec Council of Arts and Manufactures at Monument National. There he studied under Edmond Dyonnet. Upon graduation, Rozaire continued his studies at the Art Association of Montreal (AAM). Rozaire again studied under respected Canadian artists William Brymner and Maurice Cullen. Rozaire specialized in landscape paintings and developed quickly into a skillful painter. His first exhibition was at the Montreal Spring Shows in 1900. His paintings remained on display at the exhibition until 1907. Rozaire did not always spell his last name with a "z." In the 1900 Spring Show catalogue his name was misprinted. They used a "z" in his name instead of an "s." From that point on he signed his name on his canvases as Rozaire. During this time he met Margaret I. Stroud and married her on January, 15, 1903.

In 1907, Rozaire's artwork was showcased at the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA). In 1915, he was elected by special invitation to be an Associate of the RCA. Within three years the academy acquired three of his canvases, thus furthering his reputation as an esteemed artist. Despite being very successful in Canada, Rozaire moved with his wife and five children to Los Angeles in 1917. He was dealing with declining health due to tuberculosis and was looking for a warm and sunny climate that would be better for his health. In addition, Los Angles was thriving as an art community and was attracting artists from around the world. Rozaire was immediately accepted by the art community and the art critic Anthony Anderson listed Rozaire as one of the most celebrated Californian artists of the day. Rozaire was active in art circles around the area and served as a judge for the California Art Club, while at the same time participating in exhibits at RCA. On February 26, 1922, at the age of forty-three, Rozaire developed pneumonia and died, leaving his wife and six children. In only a few years, Rozaire's reputation as one of the leading landscape painters of Canada was established. He was an impressionist who painted small poetic landscapes of Canada and southern California. Rozaire's work is still represented in the following collections: National Gallery of Canada, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Art Gallery of Hamilton, and the California Art Club.