James MacDonald Barnsley (1861-1929) Canadian

Born in West Flamboro, Ontario in 1861.  Died in Verdun, Quebec in 1929.

Barnsley, a native of Ontario, studied at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts in Missouri between 1879 and 1882. His mother decided to move to St. Louis in 1875 after his father’s death and a fire that destroyed the family business.

In 1882, he went to Paris, where he lived for five years. He was moderately successful there and won many prizes for his works.  After returning to Canada, he was hospitalized in 1892 because of mental health problems. He became institutionalized frequently from this point onward.  His painting (oil and watercolor) was rediscovered long after his death in 1929.  He is mainly recognized for his seascapes, which were clearly influenced by Eugène Boudin.

Information provided by Charles Flint Art & Antiques