John William Beatty (1869–1941) captures a tranquil riverside moment in Cattle By the River (1921), with cattle grazing by the water’s edge. The sun illuminates the landscape, catching the shimmer of leaves and the stately forms of towering trees that frame the calm river. The warmth of midsummer infuses the composition with serenity, as Beatty’s brushwork and careful observation transform this modest subject into a celebration of nature’s quiet harmony and abundance.

Beatty studied at the Ontario School of Art under Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith before refining his craft at the Académie Julian in Paris. His training in Europe and his close engagement with Canadian peers shaped his artistic voice, allowing him to merge strong academic foundations with a sensitivity to Canada’s distinctive light, land, and atmosphere. This dual influence is evident in works such as Cattle By the River, where classical composition meets an intimate sense of place.

As an instructor at the Ontario College of Art, Beatty nurtured a generation of Canadian painters, including Doris McCarthy, Yvonne McKague Housser, and Carl Schaefer. His teachings emphasized technical discipline and a deep study of light and landscape, qualities that can be traced through his students’ work. At the same time, his approach to Canadian scenery influenced the broader development of landscape painting, providing a foundation upon which the Group of Seven and their contemporaries built. In this way, Beatty bridged European traditions with an emerging Canadian identity, helping lay the groundwork for the country’s evolving landscape tradition in the early 20th century.