iconTechnique: Oil, Charcoal
1855-1925
Born in Greenock (Scotland) in 1855, William Brymner died in Wallasey (Cheshire) in 1925.
After studying in Richmond (Quebec) then at the Council of Arts and Manufactures in Montreal, William Brymner, RCA, turned to architecture. In 1878, while he was in Paris taking advanced courses, he decided to devote himself to painting.
In 1886, he taught painting in classes at the Art Association of Montreal. Known for the delicacy of his art, Brymner painted portraits, figurative-style interiors, watercolors on silk, and murals. Considered the first great painting teacher in Canada, Brymner is appreciated for his respect for academic training and for his great open-mindedness towards the talent of others. Open to the thought of various schools of painting, he serves as a bridge between the styles of French academic painting, the Barbizon school and the newer techniques of Impressionism. Admired by his students, he had and still has a great influence on the development of Canadian painting.
Media coverage
- Magazin'Art, autumn 2003 edition, p.109-112