David Milne was born near Paisley in Bruce County, Ontario in 1882, the youngest of 10 children. Despite his family's poverty, Milne's future ability as an artist was recognized at an early age. After teaching at a country school for a few years, 1903 he left for New Yord to study art.
He attended classes at the Art Students League for two years, then supported himself with sign painting and magazine illustration. But he continued to paint, and by 1913 was enjoying some recognition when five of his paintings were displayed at the Armory Show with such greats as Cézanne, Monet, Matisse, Picasso and Van Gogh.
In 1916, he settled in the village of Boston Corners in upstate New York, continuing to evolve his personal style.
Milne joined the Canadian Army during World War I, and in 1919 he was posted to France as a war artist to paint the devastation.
In the late 1920s he returned to Canada, where, despite self-imposed isolation and poverty, he continued to paint. Recognition of sorts came in 1930s when he sold 300 painting at $5 each to Vincent Massey. In 1987, a Milne paintings was aunctioned for $78 000.
He resumed painting in watercolours in 1977 with energy, freedom and economy and developed in into a sensitive means of emotional expression. Milne's use of intense and spontaneous colour in Red Nasturtiums represented an evolution from the careful control of line, value, and hue found in his previous works. Today Milne is considered one of Canada's most brilliant artist and a leading forerunner of contemporary painting in this country.
Canadian Art at the McMichael - Lilies
Mira Godard Gallery
Pandora Publishing
Malaspina
Robert Fulford's Columns
David Milne in the Internet
