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Listed Canadian Artist, Printmaker & Educator (1894-1992).
Sight Size: Oil on canvas board, 14" x 18" in., 35 cm x 45 cm
Signed: LR. by the Artist
Titled & Dated: verso, “School Morning”, ca.1955.
Overall Condition: Clean, bright, pristine and newly varnished.
Framed: Recently enclosed in a Canadian made quality gilted frame.
A note of interest: One could say that this rare painting by Viola is indeed special due to its subject matter, which brings you back to a time in the mid 20th century when life seemed so much simpler and easier to cope with. When examined closely, it visually tells a light hearted story of mom taking the kids to the bus stop for school, while a neighbourhood friend is having to leave the family pup behind as he's also off to school.
Viola Verna Depew, CPE, CSGA Canadian artist and printmaker.
Viola Depew, born in Stoney Creek, Ontario, showed her artistic promise early on, winning a prize for a drawing at just ten years old at a local fair. She pursued her passion for art alongside her teaching career, studying at the Ontario College of Art during the summers while training as a teacher. After graduating in 1915, she became an art teacher with the Hamilton public school system, where she spent the next 24 years at the Memorial Public School and later took on the role of Supervisor for nine years.
Always eager to grow as an artist, Viola continued her studies under notable instructors like G.A. Reid and J.R. Seavey, who taught at the Hamilton and Cleveland Schools of Art in 1923, as well as with Leonard Hutchinson in colour block printing between 1932 and 1940.
Though she was primarily known for her colourful lino and woodcuts, Viola also captured the beauty of flowers and landscapes in her oil paintings. She created her colour block prints, using linoleum glued down to masonite to create a simplified yet realistic style for this medium. Some of her most recognized prints include 'Edge of the North', 'Sumac and Pine', 'Red Vine and Buttonwood Tree', and 'Trilliums', which won a gold medal at the 1938 Hamilton Graphic Exhibition. Viola's other block prints included 'Peonies', 'Nasturtiums', shown at the 1937 World’s Fair, 'Red Trilliums', 'Honeysuckle', 'Tiger Lilies', and 'Nicotiana', which was named Print of the Year by the Society of Canadian Painters and Etchers in 1956. Her colour block prints were particularly admired by noted art critic of the day William Colgate.
Viola’s work is represented in the collections of the Art Gallery of Hamilton, the London Art Museum, and the University of Western Ontario. She was an active member of several art organizations, including the Society of Canadian Painter-Etchers & Engravers, the Women’s Art Association of Hamilton, and the Art Gallery Association of Hamilton. Although she resigned from the Canadian Society of Graphic Art due to her demanding teaching commitments, her dedication to both art and education left a lasting legacy. Viola last lived in Hamilton, where she continued to inspire future generations of artists and students alike.
Viola Verna Depew passed away in 1992 at the age of 98.
Painting Ref No: 1RNX25KDD-S/TUEEX
Viola Verna Depew, CPE, CSGA, Ca.1955 oil on canvas board.
Updated March 5, 2025 |
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