Peter Clapham Sheppard
(1882 - 1965)
Canadian Painter, R.C.A.
Peter Clapham Sheppard was born in Toronto in 1882. He studied art at the Central Ontario School of Art and Design and the Ontario College of Art under the direction of George Reid, John William Beatty and William Cruickshank. He meets the future members of the Group of Seven with whom he holds several exhibitions. From 1912, the artist traveled to Europe as well as to the United States.
As a figurative painter, Peter C. Sheppard represents, through his works, the city and the countryside at the rhythm of the seasons. It produces several rural scenes with a modern touch and vibrant colors. Unlike the Group of Seven painters, Sheppard pays particular attention to urbanity and industrialization. In this respect, his approach is closer to the New York school.
Sheppard's work is one of Canada's most prestigious collections. Among them, the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the McMichael Collection have many of his creations. He was elected to the Ontario Society of Artists in 1918 and a member of the Royal Canadian Academy (RCA) in 1929.
Peter C. Sheppard died in Toronto at the age of 86 in 1965.