Lilias Torrance Newton (1896-1980)

She was born at Lachine, Quebec, a great-granddaughter of John Torrance who built Saint-Antoine Hall at Montreal. When she was sixteen, she went to study full time with William Byrmner (1855-1925) at the Art Association of Montreal, where she won a scholarship in Life class in her first year. During World War I she traveled to London with her mother to help with the Red Cross war effort. While there she attended art classes with Alfred Wolmark (1877-1961). She remained in London after the war and studied for a further six months under Wolmark. In 1923 she returned to Europe and studied in Paris with Alexandre Jacovleff (1887-1938). She became extremely well known for her extraordinary draftsmanship, skill with colour, and her ability to capture the personality of her clients. She died at Cowansville, Quebec.