Frederick H. Varley, Self Portrait - 17 cents 1981 - Canadian stamp
Specifications
- Quantity: 18 350 000
- Issue date: May 22, 1981
- Printer: Ashton-Potter Limited
- Scott: #888
Description
Frederick H. Varley was born in Sheffield, England, in 1881. He attended the Académie royale des Beaux-Arts in Antwerp, supporting himself by working on the docks. In 1912 he immigrated to Toronto and became a founding member of the Group of Seven in 1920. His landscapes achieved acclaim, though he preferred painting people. Indeed, Arthur Lismer, a fellow member of the Group of Seven, felt Varley's nudes excelled Renoir's. When painting a portrait, Varley discarded all preconceived ideas and looked at the sitter to "see the truth emerging in the face". To Varley, different colours represented different personalities or levels of spirituality; thus he occasionally annoyed his patrons by painting them in green, pink, or purple. Varley died in Toronto in 1969. The stamp features a self-portrait by Varley painted in oils in 1945. The work belongs to the Hart House Collection of Canadian painting and is on loan to the Art Gallery of Ontario. The stamp design is by Pierre Fontaine of Montreal.
Canada. Post Office Department. [Postage Stamp Press Release], 1981.
Creators
Based on a painting by Frederick Horsman Varley
Designed by Pierre Fontaine
Original art
Frederick Horsman Varley, "Self Portrait", circa 1945
Hart House Permanent Collection, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
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Note
The values on this page are in Canadian dollars (CAD).