Frederick Varley
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Frederick Horsman Varley, also known as Fred 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.
"We’d be healthier to forget [the war], and that we never can. We are forever tainted with its abortiveness and its cruel drama."
- — Fred Varley[cite this quote]
His and A.Y. 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. In 1954, along with a handful of artists including Eric Aldwinckle, he visited the Soviet Union on the first cultural exchange of the Cold War.
He died in Toronto in 1969.
In Markham, Ontario, the Varley Art Gallery and Fred Varley Drive is named after him.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Biography at the Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery
- Frederick Varley at artcyclopedia.com
- CBC Digital Archives - The Group of Seven: Painters in the Wilderness
- Watch the NFB documentary Varley
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