Harry Britton
Jenkins Art Galleries, 1921.
Harry Britton was born in Cambridge, England to George Britton and Mary Cooper. In 1881, his family moved to Toronto, where Britton began his training as an artist. Between 1902 and 1908, Britton studied under F. McGillivray Knowles, an established marine painter. In 1903, Britton began exhibiting with the Ontario Society of Artists (OSA), and in 1905, with the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA)—initially exhibiting only one piece in his first year with the Academy, and then four pieces in 1906, and five in 1907. That same year, Britton was elected to be a member of the OSA, but resigned from the position in 1908.
Jenkins Art Galleries, 1921.
In 1908, Britton returned to England, where he studied at the Heatherley School of Fine Art in London and the London School of Art. During this time, impressionism was prominent, the influence of which is evident in Britton’s work. In 1912, following his studies, Britton moved to St. Ives, Cornwall, a seafront English town. Here, he began teaching art lessons, focussing on watercolour and oil technique. At one of these classes, he met Henrietta Hancock, a fellow painter and exhibitor at the RCA. They were married in 1914 and that same year the couple returned to Toronto, where Britton taught private art lessons. Among his students was A.J. Casson of the Group of Seven, who later referred to Britton as “the best marine artist Canada ever had.”
In 1921, the Britton couple returned to Europe. Travel had a notable influence on Britton’s work; the pieces he exhibited with the RCA during this time show landscapes from England, the Netherlands, Italy and France.
In 1925, the Brittons returned to Canada, this time landing in Amherst, Nova Scotia, where Britton began a body of works depicting the Atlantic Coast. Upon returning to Toronto in 1934, Britton was elected to be an associate member of the RCA. He resided in Toronto with his wife until his death in 1958 at the age of 79.
Written by Maddy Chinneck
Sources:
“American Art News, Vol. 7, No. 4.” American Art News 7, no. 4 (1908): 1-8.
“The Art News, Vol. 22, No. 35.” The Art News (1923-) 22, no. 35 (1924): 1-8.
“Autumn Landscape by Britton.” Fine Art and Antiques. Accessed June 24, 2024.
“Catalogue.” Bulletin of the Associates in Fine Arts at Yale University 12, no. 3 (1944).
“Harry Britton.” Wikipedia. Last modified June 24, 2024.
“Harry Britton.” Nash Gallery. Accessed June 24, 2024.
“Harry Britton Biography.” Cowley Abbott. Accessed June 24, 2024.
Story, Eric. “Shifting Memories, Shifting Meanings: The Nutana Collegiate Memorial Art Gallery in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 1919-1930.” Manitoba History 82 (2016): 12-22.