Owen Staples
Owen Staples was born in England in 1866 and emigrated to Canada at the age of 8. In 1885, he began to study under another famous Canadian painter, George Agnew Reid. Over the course of his artistic career, Staples became a masterful pastelist, painter, etcher, political cartoonist, author, musician, and naturalist. He was also associated with the Group of Seven. Staples was close friends with Dr. William Brodie, Tom Thompson’s older cousin. When Staples and Brodie would go exploring to find places to paint, a young Thompson would often accompany them. In addition, Staples was the first professional artist that A.J. Casson met when he moved to Toronto. Owen Staples passed away in 1949, but his work can still be found in public and private collections all across Canada.
“Untitled” date unknown, Staples
Information researched and compiled by Rose Anderson, Collections Assistant for Kawartha Art Gallery.
