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Frederick Horsman Varley 1881 - 1969 Canadian oil on board Fire Ranger's Look-out 12 x 15 inches 30.5 x 38.1 centimeters signed and on verso titled, inscribed in graphite ""Varley / Studio / Richmond Art / Hornby St"" and in ink ""V.I. 155"" [Varley Inventory #155] and stamped James Wood & Co, Plywoods, Vancouver Provenance:Acquired directly from the Artist, 1938 By descent to the present Private Collection, Montreal In 1926, Frederick Varley arrived in Vancouver to take a teaching position at the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts. By 1927 he was settled in a house at Jericho Beach with a fine view of the North Shore mountains and soon was making day and weekend trips to them to sketch. Known for his vigour in climbing, Varley was described as springing up the slopes like a mountain goat, transmitting his enthusiasm for this country to his artist companions and students. He made excursions further north to rugged Garibaldi Park in 1927, 1929, 1932 and 1934, moved by the mystery and power of this wilderness. In 1934, he moved to Lynn Valley below Seymour Mountain on the North Shore, remaining there until 1937. The mountains were a sanctuary for Varley - their tranquility and vast scale gave him an escape from worldly pressures and he immersed himself in their atmosphere. An important body of work was created from these mountain trips, paintings such as this strong, bright sketch, full of sparkling light and fresh colour from its top-of-the-world vantage point.