Ralph Wallace Burton (1905, Newington, Ontario – 1983, Ottawa) was a distinguished Ottawa Valley painter and a close friend, student, and painting companion of A.Y. Jackson of the Group of Seven. Over a career that spanned more than five decades, Burton developed a richly expressive style that captured both the rugged landscapes of Canada and the quiet dignity of its communities.
Ralph Burton; Sanctuary, 1969
Educated in Ottawa under Professor Chaume and Alan Beddoe (1923–24), Burton further refined his skills at the Banff School of Fine Arts in 1947, studying directly with A.Y. Jackson. The two artists formed a deep friendship that would define much of Burton’s artistic life. Together, they embarked on numerous sketching expeditions—from the Ottawa Valley and Eastern Ontario to Quebec, Alberta, Alaska, and the Yukon—often joined by fellow painter Maurice Haycock. These journeys inspired Burton’s lifelong fascination with the Canadian landscape and the resilience of the people who inhabited it.
Ralph Burton; Road to St. Fidele
Burton was renowned for his use of oil on birch plywood panels, a medium that gave his work a distinctive texture and vitality. His brushwork was rhythmic and fluid—“straight lines were rare,” one student recalled, “things are always flowing and moving through his brush strokes and variation in colours.” His paintings reveal both vivid colouration and assured draughtsmanship, qualities that made him one of Ottawa’s most respected mid-century artists and teachers.
During the Second World War, Burton served in the Royal Canadian Air Force in Ottawa as an administrative war art officer, contributing to the visual documentation of the era. Like many artists of his generation, he balanced his art with practical demands, often bartering paintings for food, fuel, or car repairs, and taking commissions for calendars and Christmas cards to support his family.
Ralph Burton; Spring, Clayton Lake, ON
Burton’s artistic range extended beyond natural landscapes to include architectural and urban scenes. His most significant achievement is the celebrated LeBreton Flats series, painted in the early 1960s as the historic Ottawa neighbourhood was being demolished for urban renewal. Working just ahead of the bulldozers, Burton created a poignant record of a working-class community’s final days. These paintings—combining expressive freedom with meticulous architectural detail—are among the most important visual documents of Ottawa’s modern history.
Ralph Burton; Percy Street Public School, Ottawa
Today, Burton’s works are held in major public and private collections across Canada and abroad. The Ottawa Art Gallery houses several of his paintings, including Bennett Lake, Ontario near Perth (1975), Sun Drawing Water (1977), Reflection on the Road, Richmond, Ontario (1970), and A.Y.J. Snoozing with Paper in Hand, Calabogie (1960). Additional works appear in the Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery, the Dawson City Museum and Historical Society, and the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. More than thirty pieces from his LeBreton Flats series hang permanently at Ottawa City Hall.
Ralph Burton; Old Ontario School
A devoted teacher and mentor, Burton inspired many Ottawa artists with his love of colour, direct observation, and plein-air discipline. His legacy lies not only in his paintings but also in the generations of students he influenced.
Ralph Wallace Burton passed away in 1983, leaving behind a body of work that continues to celebrate the spirit, resilience, and natural beauty of Canada. His paintings remain a testament to both his artistic mastery and his enduring friendship with one of Canada’s greatest painters, A.Y. Jackson.