Verner was born on February 26, 1836, in Hammondsville, Upper Canada, now part of Mississauga, Ontario. From a young age, he was fascinated by the work of Paul Kane and even attempted to become his student, though unsuccessfully. Kane’s influence would later appear in Verner’s own focus on western Canadian subjects and Indigenous life.
In 1856, Verner travelled to London, England, where he enrolled at the Heatherley School of Fine Art and also studied at the British Museum. Following his studies, he entered military service, first with the Yorkshire militia and later with the 3rd West Yorkshire Regiment, eventually achieving the rank of lieutenant. In 1860, he joined the British Legion under Giuseppe Garibaldi during the campaign for Italian unification before rejoining the 3rd West Yorkshire Regiment in 1861.
Verner came back to Canada in 1862 and began working as a photograph colourist in Toronto, creating painted portraits based on photographs. During this time, he increasingly focused on sketching wilderness scenes and Indigenous communities, which became the foundation of his later artistic career. His early paintings of First Nations life quickly gained attention and formed the basis of the romantic western scenes for which he later became internationally known.
In 1873, Verner accompanied Manitoba Lieutenant-Governor Alexander Morris to the signing of Treaty Three at Lake of the Woods. During the journey, he created sketches and watercolours that became important source material for paintings throughout the rest of his life. Beginning in 1875, he also carefully studied buffalo, producing sketches that served as the foundation for many of his best-known paintings.
Verner became a co-founder of the Ontario Society of Artists in 1872 and exhibited regularly with the group for decades. In 1880, he moved permanently to England, though he continued returning to Canada periodically to gather inspiration and reference material for his paintings. His romanticized western scenes had become extremely popular overseas, particularly among British audiences interested in images of the Canadian frontier.
Frederick Arthur Verner
Throughout his career, Verner exhibited widely in Toronto, Montreal, New York, Philadelphia, Buffalo, St. Louis, and London. He exhibited with the Royal Academy of Arts between 1881 and 1900 and became an Associate Member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1893. In 1901, he received a gold medal at the Pan-American Exposition. In 1905, he became the first Canadian elected to the Royal British Colonial Society of Artists.
Unlike the dramatic western scenes painted by some American artists, Verner often emphasized stillness and solitude, portraying buffalo moving across the plains or figures gathered peacefully within broad western landscapes.
Today, Verner’s work can be found in major public collections including the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Glenbow Museum.
Frederick Arthur Verner died in London, England, on May 16, 1928. His paintings remain important examples of early Canadian western art and continue to be appreciated for their historical significance and atmospheric portrayal of the Canadian landscape.
Consignment at Rookleys
At Rookleys Canadian Art, we are actively seeking works by Frederick Arthur Verner for consignment, offering consignment rates far lower below what auction houses charge. If you have a painting by Frederick Arthur Verner to consign, please contact us at info@rookleys.com to discuss these opportunities further.
