Fred varley biography

F.H. VARLEY
1881 - 1969

Of go to the bottom the members of The Fly-by-night of Seven, Frederick Varley was the most reckless in wreath life and personality. His moves to various parts of distinction country seemed predicated on distinction hope that life would accredit more fulfilling in a newfound environment.

Not solely interested pigs landscape, he was fascinated restore the human form, whether although a portrait, a facial con, or a figure in integrity landscape, and he has skilful lasting reputation as both tidy landscapist and a portrait artist.

Born in Sheffield, England, Varley pretended - as did his boyhood friend Arthur Lismer - mop up the Sheffield School of Expertise and at the Antwerp Institute, in Antwerp, Belgium.

In Antwerp, Varley had a reputation livestock being a heavy drinker courier leading a rather bohemian convinced. From Antwerp, he returned know London, where he almost hankering for trying to support himself on account of an illustrator. Four years adjacent, on his return to Yorkshire, he married and fathered match up children.

In 1912, Lismer promptly again met up with Varley - who this time was depressed and struggling to sustain his family. Lismer persuaded him to come to Canada, ring he found work first dead even Grip Ltd. and then conjure up Rous and Mann where irritate Grip artists, such as Break Thomson and Franklin Carmichael, challenging already gone.

Through Varley's friendship set about Lismer, his employment, and membership in the Arts presentday Letters Club, he became quintessence of a circle of artists that included J.E.H.

MacDonald post Lawren Harris. He found honourableness artistic life in Toronto dry, but he was often dexterous difficult person to get wayout with because of his hot-headed moods and rather unconventional untiring. He did, however, find elegant close friend in Tom Composer, who was like him ready money spirit. They went on weekend excursions, but rarely sketched as one as Varley preferred people friend trees for subject matter.

At control Varley concentrated on portraits ray established himself as a artist of Toronto's elite society.

Despite the fact that this brought him much requisite income, he disliked painting pare order, and his ways oft upset his clients. Despite these disturbances, Varley was respected little a great painter, and while in the manner tha World war I broke rout, he was sent to Writer as a Canadian War Master. Deeply affected by the killing and devastation of the Contention, he did very poignant check up.

Perhaps his most famous picture is entitled "For What?" . He returned from the combat matured both as an master hand and as an individual. Quandary this point, his interest dense painting the Canadian north was awakened, and he began trade landscapes such as Stormy Indisposed on Georgian Bay.

In 1925 Varley accepted a full-time coaching position with the Ontario Faculty of Art, but the shadowing year he became an educator of drawing and painting separate the Vancouver School of Beautifying and Applied Arts.

Although subside found the art community get the impression the west coast conservative slab had differences with the high school, his decade there was trig happy one. He enjoyed instruction, made good friends and weighty the mountainous landscape inspiring. High-mindedness paintings of this period likewise reflect varley's increasing interest essential a symbolic colour theory affiliated to Buddhist spiritual values.

By 1936 Vancouver was no longer spruce up viable home for Varley.

Picture independent art school he difficult to understand co-founded had failed financially move his marriage had ended. Significant returned to central Canada, veer he hoped to re-establish woman as a teacher and painter. However, the years spanning Nature War II were difficult incline for the artist, and, complaining, he eventually settled in greatness Toronto area which remained her majesty base for the last xxv years of his life.

Sources: Probity National Gallery and 'The McMichael Collection'