Frederick Varley

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Landscape No. 1: Mountains, B.C., circa 1934, National Gallery of Canada.

Frederick Horsman Varley (January 2, 1881-September 8, 1969) was a member of the Canadian Group of Seven artists.

Varley was born in Sheffield, England in 1881 and studied art in Sheffield and in Belgium. He came to Canada in 1912 on the advice of another Sheffield native, Arthur Lismer, and found work at Grip Ltd.. He served in the First World War and painted scenes of combat from his experiences of the time. He was deeply disturbed by what he saw in this war. "We’d be healthier to forget [the war], & that we never can. We are forever tainted with its abortiveness & its cruel drama." — Fred Varley. His and AY Jackson's contribution in the war influenced work in the Group of Seven. They purposely painted Canadian wilderness that had been damaged by fire or harsh climates. His major contribution to art, however, was for his work with the Group of Seven. He and Lawren Harris were the only members of the group to paint portraits.

He died in Toronto in 1969.