Harris, Robert (1849-1919), was one of the most popular and respected Canadian painters of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. He became best known for his large dark-toned and richly textured portraits of influential Canadians and their families. Harris also painted landscapes, historical events, and scenes from everyday life. Harris’s traditional realistic style was greatly influenced by his study of major European painters, especially the Spanish baroque painter Diego Velazquez.
Harris was born on Sept. 18, 1849, in Conway, Wales, and immigrated to Canada with his parents in 1856. He received his first professional art training in Boston and later studied painting in London and Paris. Harris helped found the Royal Canadian Academy, an association of professional artists, in 1880 and served as the organization’s president from 1893 to 1906. He died on Feb. 27, 1919.
