Frederick Horseman Varley was born in Sheffield, England January 2, 1881; died September 8, 1969.

He was one of Canada’s most prominent and distinguished portrait painters.

Although he was among landscape painters, Varley devoted himself to primarily portraiture for years.

His expressive portraits have been favourably compared with those of the English painter Augustus John.

In 1926 Varley moved to Vancouver. There he painted the richly coloured landscapes whose calm spirituality reflects his interest in Eastern philosophy.

His paintings hang in the every major museum across Canada, including the National Gallery of Ottawa.