BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

Frederick Horsman Varley

January 2 1881 - September 8 1969

Group of Seven
Canadian Group of Painters (Charter Member)
B.C. College of Arts, Ltd. (Co-Founder 1933)
Royal Canadian Academy (ARCA 1921-39 RCA 1969)


Varley was born in Sheffield, England, in 1881. He grew up and took his art training in England at the Sheffield School of Art, and then in Belgium at the Academie Royale des Beaux Arts in 1901 and 1902. He returned to England, where he worked as an illustrator in London from 1904 to 1908. He lived in Sheffield for a few years before moving to Canada with his wife and two children in August 1912. He began working for the Grip Engraving Company in Toronto, and became involved with other artists.

Varley went to Europe during World War One as a war artist from 1914 to 1918, painting a number of important and even controversial works.

Varley became a major influence on the west coast art scene when he arrived in Vancouver in 1926 to begin teaching at the recently opened Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Art under Charles Scott.

In 1927 he exhibited work in Victoria with the Island Arts and Crafts Society. He exhibited work with the B.C. Society of Fine Arts in November 1929. He also showed work in the annual B.C. Artists exhibitions in 1932 and 1934.

He exhibited in the Seattle Art Museum's annual Northwest Artists exhibitions in 1930, 1931, and 1937.

He exhibited three paintings at the Canadian National Exhibition in 1930, 1931, and 1939.

Varley had a solo exhibition in 1932 at the Vancouver Art Gallery, a show of landscapes in oil, watercolours, and drawings. The exhibition catalogue list includes catalogue numbers and prices but no titles for any of the artwork except for 4 of the 90 works in the show.

His contributions have been well recorded in biographies, exhibition catalogues, and surveys of Canadian art, including the 1935 confidential report by Arthur Lismer to the National Gallery of Canada, where Lismer noted that Varley
     "... has raised the whole standard of achievement and interest of hundreds of young people and many of the more mature artists."

Varley showed work in the B.C. Artists Christmas exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 1933.


Varley c.v. from B.C. College of Arts Pre-Prospectus 1933

   
Varley c.v. from B.C. College of Arts Prospectus 1933

Varley and Jock MacDonald left the art school to found the B.C. College of Arts, Ltd. with Harry Tauber in 1933 after receiving cuts in pay from Scott. Although the College was instantly popular and enrolled many students, the finances didn't work out and the college closed in 1935. Varley left the west coast for Eastern Canada, and in later years only returned to the eastern part of B.C. in the Kootenay area.

In 1934 he had work in the RCA's 55th Annual exhibition, held at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

In 1941 he had work in the RCA's 62nd Annual exhibition, held at the Art Association of Montreal.

A large number of paintings and sketches remain from his years of work in Vancouver, a historic legacy of one of our most noted and flamboyant artists.


SOLO EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION LOCATION
1932 December 1 - 12 Solo Exhibition VAG

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK
1928 Jan 7 - 29 NGC   Exh. of Canadian West Coast Art Group of Rocky Mountain Sketches
1928 Sept. 3 - 8 ProvExh   8th Annual Salon John
1929 Nov. 16 - 30 BCSFA   Winter Exhibition Afternoon Light
Colour Pattern
A Lonely Beach
Coast Mountain Forms
Dawn
1930 Aug. 22 - Sept. 6 CNE   Fine Art Norma
1931 Aug. 28 - Sept. 12 CNE   Canadian Paintings in Oil Vee
1932 May - July V.A.G.   All-Canadian Exhibition Morning
Portrait Study
The Gorge of the Sphinx
Flora
1932 Oct. 5 - 30 VAG   B.C. Artists 1st Annual Dharana
Fire Ranger's Cabin, Lynn Valley
Dawn
Early Morning
Drawing of a Head
1933 Feb. 13 - 18 Sylvia Court    West End Artists Exhibition (sketch in oils)
(a number of drawings)
1933 Dec. 1 - 17 VAG   B.C. Artists Christmas Exhibition Tantalus Mountains
Flora
The Gorge of the Sphinx
1934 Sept. 21 - Oct. 14 VAG   B.C. Artists 3rd Annual Valley of Clouds
High Summer
Head of Negress
Woman
1934 Oct. 18 - 21 Chilliwack   B.C. Artists 3rd Ann. Selections ?
1934 ? - ? VAG   B.C. Artists Edmonton Exhibition Tranquil Valley
Dawn
Head of a Woman
1935 Sept. 20 - Oct. 15 VAG   B.C. Artists 4th Annual Landscape
1939 Aug. 25 - Sept. 9 CNE   Canadian Fine Art Portrait of Mrs. Ernest Ely

References - BIBLIOGRAPHY

Refer to BIBLIO.

References - GROUP EXHIBITIONS

SEATTLE ART MUSEUM - NORTHWEST ARTISTS EXHIBITIONS 1914 - 1975
     Refer to NWA BC artists by exhibition
     Refer to NWAA BC artists alphabetically

SOUVENIR CATALOGUE OF EXHIBITIONS OPENING THE NEW VANCOUVER ART GALLERY (refer to VAG51)

100 YEARS OF B.C. ART (refer to VAG58)

ARTE CANADIENSE (refer to NGC60)

CONTEMPORARIES OF EMILY CARR IN BRITISH COLUMBIA (refer to SFU74)

VANCOUVER: ART & ARTISTS 1931 - 1983 (refer to VAG83)

VISIONS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (refer to VAG09)

SHORE, FOREST AND BEYOND - ART FROM THE AUDAIN COLLECTION (refer to VAG11)

COTTAGES TO COMMUNITIES (refer to WVHS11)

References - GENERAL

B.C. COLLEGE OF ARTS Pre-Prospectus 1933

B.C. COLLEGE OF ARTS Prospectus 1933

WHO'S WHO IN NORTHWEST ART (refer to WWNA41)

BRITISH COLUMBIA - A CENTENNIAL ANTHOLOGY (refer to BCCA58)

THE FINE ARTS IN VANCOUVER, 1886 - 1930 (refer to THOM69)

CREATIVE CANADA - Volumes One & Two (refer to CC71)
      Includes 1-1/2 columns of information on Varley.

THE DICTIONARY OF BRITISH ARTISTS 1880 - 1940 (refer to DBA76)

FROM DESOLATION TO SPLENDOUR (refer to FDTS77)

CANADIAN ART PRINTS (refer to CAP79)

ROYAL CANADIAN ACADEMY OF ARTS - EXHIBITIONS & MEMBERS 1880 - 1979 (refer to RCA81)

MONTREAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS - SPRING EXHIBITIONS 1880 - 1970 (refer to MM88)

ART BC, MASTERWORKS FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA by Ian M. Thom
      2000, Douglas & McIntyre Ltd., ISBN 1-55054-808-5
      232 pages illustrated in colour and b&w
      Includes historical essays, biographical notes, index.

CANADIAN ART - FROM ITS BEGINNINGS TO 2000 (refer to CAN00)

CANVAS OF WAR - PAINTING THE CANADIAN EXPERIENCE 1914 TO 1945
      2000, by Dean F. Oliver, Laura Brandon; Foreword by J.L. Granatstein
      Douglas & McIntyre Ltd., ISBN 1-55054-772-0
      178 pages illustrated in colour and b&w
      Includes historical essays, chronology, sources, index of works, index of artists.

THE CANADIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA (refer to CE00)

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (refer to EBC00)

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA (refer to BIAC03)
     25 references to Varley.

THE FECKLESS COLLECTION (refer to FECK18)

GREATER VANCOUVER ART GALLERIES 1954-2020 (refer to GVAG20)
     1 references to Varley.

ISLAND ARTS AND CRAFTS SOCIETY - List of Exhibitors

VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY - B.C. ARTISTS FILES (refer to VPL)

CITY & PROVINCIAL DIRECTORIES 1929/31 Vancouver (refer to DIR)

Clippings

"A definite step has been made in the Art School, and under the guidance of Prof. F.H. Varley and Mr. J.W.G. Macdonald, both enthusiastic over the possibilities of this province, a British Columbia manner and presentation and subject are being fostered."
      From "The Paint Box Is Annual of Vancouver Art School"
      unknown newspaper, June 1927

"Other contributors include: ... F.H. Varley ... "
      From "The Paint Box Is Annual of Vancouver Art School"
      unknown newspaper, June 1927

"First prizes for the best costumes were awarded to Miss Theresa Lefurgey in the dress of a boy herald of the time of Charles I, and Mr. Bert Quinn in eccentric costume. Mr. F. Horsman Varley and Mr. J.W.G. Macdonald of the Art School staff were the judges, and the affair was pronounced one of the most original ever staged in the city."
      From "Ogopogo Yawns On Gay Crowd At Bal Masque"
      unknown newspaper, October 20 1927

"F.H. Varley's "Dharana" will probably be the most discussed and abused picture in the show. ... The spare figure of a girl shown in a brooding attitude against the wooden railing of a verandah with a background of mountains is both appealing and annoying. ... Annoying because to express his mood the artist has had to resort to the use of colors such as no human flesh ever was. ... Appealing because the more one studies the picture the more one feels the atmosphere of it.
     Mr. aVrley (sic) has two water colors in the exhibition also, one of which, showing an early morning scene through an open window, has something of the delicate quality of a Japanese print."
      From "B.C. Artists Reveal Talent at Show"
      unknown newspaper, October 1932

"We are no less proud to claim as a British Columbian artist, F.H. Varley, formerly of Toronto, and a distinguished member of the Group of Seven. Apart from his accomplishments as a painter, he has been a great acquisition as a teacher of painting in the Art School. ..." (continues)
      From "BRITISH COLUMBIA ART - Significance of First "All British Columbia Show" by Harold Mortimer Lamb
      Saturday Night December 10 1932

"F.H. Varley, Vancouver's member of the "Group of Seven" is represented with a new little sketch in oils as well as by a number of drawings."
      From "'West End' Show Of Art Works" by D.S.M.
      Vancouver Sun, February 15 1933

"Many other well-known artists are represented, including ... F.H. Varley ... "
      From "Bargains in Art" by D.S.M.
      Vancouver Sun, December 1 1933

"F.H Varley, R.C.A., and J.W.G. Macdonald, directors of the B.C. College of Art, will take their pupils up 5,000 feet into this country which they declare has marvellous possibilities from an artist's point of view."
      From "In The Domain of Art" by Reta W. Myers
      Vancouver Province, May 5 1934

"Among other pictures coming to Chilliwack are works by C.H. Scott, F.H. Varley, A.R.C.A., J.W.G. Macdonald and other noted artists."
      From "Vancouver Pictures Come to Chilliwack"
      Vancouver Art Gallery Press Release, October 1934


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