Frank Johnston (1888-1949) Canadian, Riverscape Watercolor on Paper. Depicts a tree hanging down in front of a rolling river with beautiful hills and a vibrant sky in the background. Signed Franz Johnston (his original name before World War I) bottom right. Stamp on back from the Heffel Fine Art Auction House in Canada. Unframed, but with matting. 

Overall Size: 16 x 19 1/2 in. 

Sight Size: 9 1/2 x 13 3/8 in. 

Frank Johnston was born Franz Johnston in 1888 in Toronto, Canada, studying early on to become a painter and changing his name to avoid prejudicial treatment during World War I. His impressionist landscapes and marine paintings led him to become a member of the Group of Seven, led by Lawren Harris (1885-1970), which held to doctrines of painting that emphasized commitment to national subjects with environmental and spiritual interpretations. However, because of the more decorative tendencies of his work and his desire for creative independence, Johnston fell away from the Group of Seven, leaving Toronto in 1921 to become the Director of the Winnipeg School of Art. After a hiatus of five years he served as principal of the Ontario College of Art in Toronto starting in 1929. Johnston's reputation increasingly grew right up until his death in 1949, heavily influencing several generations of Canadian art students.

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