monogrammed lower right
Provenance: Masters Gallery, Calgary AB
Toronto born artist Yvonne McKague Housser trained at the Ontario College of Art from 1913-1918. Over the years, she continued to develop her craft, studying abroad in France, Austria, the United States and Mexico. After graduating from the OCA, the decorated student stayed on at the College, initially as an assistant to Arthur Lismer and F. H. Varley, then as an instructor, teaching a wide variety of courses. She became a highly regarded instructor in her own right, and was instrumental in the founding of Toronto’s Art Students’ League in 1926, becoming its principal advisor.
Housser exhibited in three Group of Seven Shows (in 1928, 1930 and 1931); she additionally exhibited with the RCA, the OCA, and in numerous national exhibitions, including at the National Gallery and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Housser was very involved with the arts community, as a founding member of the Canadian Group of Painters and Federation of Canadian Artists, and was a member of the Royal Canadian Academy and Ontario Society of Artists.
Known primarily for her lively Ontario landscapes, and for her affiliation with the Group of Seven, Housser’s work evolved, moving toward semi-abstraction and abstract expressionism.
