Yvonne McKague Housser (1897–1996) 

Yvonne McKague Housser was a pioneering Canadian modernist painter and influential art educator. She played a key role in shaping Canadian art, contributing to organizations such as the Group of Seven, the Canadian Group of Painters, and the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Her paintings, often inspired by Ontario landscapes, are held in major collections, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.

Born in Toronto in 1897, Housser studied at the Ontario College of Art (OCA) from 1913 to 1918, where she was mentored by renowned artists such as J.W. Beatty, George Agnew Reid, William Cruikshank, Robert Holmes, and Emanuel Hahn. She later pursued further studies in Paris at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière, Académie Colarossi, and Académie Ranson, as well as in Mexico with Emil Bistram and Cape Cod under Hans Hofmann.

Housser became a respected art instructor, teaching at the Ontario College of Art (OCA) from 1920 to 1949, as well as at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Toronto Metropolitan University) and the Doon School of Fine Arts. She exhibited extensively, first with the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1923 and later with the Ontario Society of Artists, where she became a member in 1928.

As a founding member of the Canadian Group of Painters (1933) and the Federation of Canadian Artists (1941), Housser was instrumental in the evolution of modern Canadian art. Her style transitioned from landscape realism to semi-abstract and abstract compositions, reflecting her deep engagement with contemporary artistic movements.
   

In 1954, she was commissioned by the Canadian Pacific Railway to paint a mural for the luxury Park cars on Canada’s transcontinental train—she was the only woman selected for this prestigious project.
In 1965, she received the Baxter Purchase Award at the Ontario Society of Artists’ 47th exhibition.
In 1984, she was awarded the Order of Canada for her contributions to Canadian art.
In 1991, she received the A.J. Casson Award for Distinguished Service from the Ontario College of Art.
In 1995, the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa held a major retrospective of her work.

Housser’s paintings are featured in many prominent collections, including:
National Gallery of Canada
Art Gallery of Ontario
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
Art Gallery of Hamilton
Hart House (University of Toronto)
London Public Library & Art Museum

Her work remains highly sought after in the Canadian art market, and her contributions to modernist painting continue to influence collectors and scholars.

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