John William Beatty (1869–1941) painted Country Stream in 1909, capturing a quiet moment at the edge of a dirt road where reeds mark the beginning of the stream. Wildflowers, a lone evergreen, and a bursting leafy tree breathe calmness. The shade of the leafy tree and the gentle slope of the hill under the blue expansive sky beckon, transforming a simple view into a painting of lasting charm.

Beatty studied at the Ontario School of Art under Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith and later refined his craft at the Académie Julian in Paris. His European training and close engagement with Canadian peers informed his compositional sense and his sensitivity to Canada’s distinctive light, land, and atmosphere.

As an instructor at the Ontario College of Art, Beatty mentored a generation of Canadian painters, including Harold Beament and Kathleen Daly. His teaching emphasized both technical discipline and thoughtful interpretation of nature, bridging European traditions with a distinctly Canadian artistic identity and laying the groundwork for the country’s evolving landscape painting in the early 20th century. This oil on board measures 9 x 11.75 and is signed and dated bottom right.