In Don Valley Pasture, c. 1920, John William Beatty, 1869–1941, depicts the Don Valley River running through a sunken channel, its banks rising to a sunlit pasture beyond. On the far side of the river, a line of large, leafy trees forms a natural boundary, while a small group of cows grazes quietly in the distance. Beatty’s palette combines bold greens, warm rusts, and earthy tones, with splashes of vivid green and sky blue, capturing a bright day in a rural Toronto landscape. This scene represents a significant location in Toronto’s history, as the Don Valley today no longer contains pastures or grazing cows, but instead is heavily urbanized, making Beatty’s painting a rare visual record of the valley’s rural past.

Trained at the Ontario School of Art and furthering his studies at the Académie Julian in Paris, Beatty developed a solid academic foundation that informed his career as a painter and teacher. He played a central role in Canadian art education, mentoring significant artists including Doris McCarthy, A.J. Casson, Peter Clapham Sheppard, Illingworth Kerr, Frederick Loveroff, and Adrian Dingle. In 1914, Beatty was commissioned by the Canadian Northern Railway, alongside A.Y. Jackson, to document the construction of the railway and the surrounding landscapes, promoting the beauty of Canadian places and linking art with national identity.

Although invited to join the Group of Seven, Beatty chose to follow his own path in Canadian landscape painting. His contributions to early twentieth-century Canadian art extend beyond his own works to the students he guided and the artistic standards he upheld. This oil painting measures 7.25 x 10 inches and is signed bottom right.