A pair of paintings by Robert Coventry (1892-1967), not to be mistaken for Robert McGown Coventry (1855-1941). Gary Sim has a full profile on the artist who spent a large portion of his life in Vancouver. Here’s an excerpt:
Robert Coventry was born in Liminge, Kent, England. He came to Canada c1908, and arrived in BC c1929. He was married to Ida Spencer Burnup.
He exhibited in the 1920 Annual Exhibition of the B.C. Society of Fine Arts, held at the Vancouver School Board offices on Hamilton Street.
He exhibited in numerous annual B.C. Artist exhibitions at the VAG, from 1933 to 1951. In 1935 his address was noted as Ballantyne, Alberta.
In 1932 he was a signatory to an agreement to boycott the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa for their exhibition and purchase policies related to Canadian artists. He was noted as being a Vancouver artist...
...He retired from a lifetime of work as a municipal draughtsman in 1958, and died in North Vancouver at the age of 74 in 1967.
The first painting appeared back in 2022 at Finn’s Auction House in Abbotsford; the second midcentury skyline of the city appeared some time ago on eBay, but was mislabeled as a work by the other Coventry, Robert McGown Coventry. I can’t tell if it actually sold, and what the description was beyond "Listed Scottish artist- R. Mc. Coventry - 20th C. O/B - 24" x 20". Signed". It’s a great skyline of the city, back when the Hotel Vancouver was one of the iconic tall buildings in the city. What’s more, there appears to be a back painting on this same city skyline, featuring a prominent portrait of a young lady...perhaps an important subject in Robert Coventry’s life!
I can’t determine what the title of the first painting above was called, the label at the back of the painting had sadly deteriorated. (An interesting aside, it appears the frame was sold at Woodwards, perhaps they offered framing services, or maybe even had a fine art section many decades ago). I analyzed all the titles that Gary Sim had compiled for his bibliographic profile, and I have a theory! Here are some of the titles Gary compiled:
Gateway, Battle Abbey
St. Augustine's, Canterbury
Old Country Farm House
The Giant Inn
False Creek
Coal Harbour
Georgia Street
Elevator
City from Coal Harbour
Foothills
Landscape
Gas Works - False Creek
Sheep Herder's Hut, Eastern Washington
The Golden Ears
On Lulu Island
October, Alberta
The Golden Ears
Fraser Valley
Rooftops
Elevator
Eastern Washington
Winter, Ontario
Firs
Dawn Patrol
Sawmill
West End Scene
Old Mill Site
Scene
Tenements
The scene MAY have actually been painted on the [relocated] site of the Old Hastings Mill Store. Looking to the west, there is actually a pier and a marina at the same location where a pier appears in the painting. Off in the distance, Spanish Banks. Could this painting be the Old Mill Site, circa 1947? I can’t be CERTAIN of this fact, but for now, it’s a great theory! The ‘focal length’ seen in the Google Earth snapshot below is not comparable to the original painting, but perhaps I need to step out to the site and take a look for myself.Â
