60 - WATSON, Homer Ransford (1855–1936)

WATSON, Homer Ransford (1855–1936) Rough Sea. Oil on hardboard. Signed and dated 1934 in the lower right corner. Bears the date “Nov. 1934” and the notation “Northern Point” on the back. (minor losses, water stain on the reverse) 27 x 35 cm (frame: 40.5 x 48.5 cm) Note: Homer Ransford Watson (1855–1936) is considered one of the pioneers of Canadian landscape painting. A native of Doon, Ontario, this largely self-taught artist gained international recognition as early as the 1880s, particularly after the British royal family acquired two of his paintings. Admired by Oscar Wilde, who compared him to the English landscape painter John Constable, Watson developed a naturalistic style attentive to atmospheric effects and the power of the elements. President of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts from 1918 to 1922, his works are now held in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.