Farquhar McGillivray Knowles 1859 – 1932

This oil sketch shows the shoreline at Percé, featuring traditional Gaspésiennes—the rugged fishing boats used throughout the region. Knowles was a master of marine subjects; he lived on a yacht to study the water firsthand, and that experience shows in the way he captures the coastal light and the weight of the boats on the sand.

Born in 1859 in Syracuse, NY,  later moving to Canada where he received his early education in Guelph, Ontario.  He studied art in New York under William Merritt Chase and on his return to Canada was a student of John A. Fraser. Based on the quality of his watercolour paintings, Knowles was elected an Associate of the Royal Canadian Academy in 1889.  Further art studies a broad included, England for two years under Sir Hubert von Herkomer, R.A., and then in Paris for four years under Benjamin Constant, Jean-Paul Laurens, Henri Gervais and Veir Schmidt.^[ He  started his own art academy when back in Canada which covered design, ceramics, painting  and life classes.  Knowles was best known for his impressionist style marine paintings. Although known mostly as a Canadian artist, Knowles did spend considerable time in the United States living in New York and having a studio at their summer residence in Riverton, New Hampshire.