Peter Haworth

Peter Haworth (1889–1986) was a British-born Canadian painter and muralist whose career helped shape the course of Canadian modernism. After training at the Royal College of Art in London, he immigrated to Toronto in 1923, where his refined sense of design and bold approach to colour quickly earned him recognition. Haworth’s versatility spanned painting, watercolour, and stained glass, and he became especially known for his large-scale public murals that still stand as markers of Canadian cultural life.

Alongside his studio work, Haworth was head of the art department at Toronto’s Central Technical School for more than three decades, mentoring countless artists who went on to define Canadian painting in the 20th century. Exhibiting widely with the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and Ontario Society of Artists, his works—whether landscapes, still lifes, or commissions with his wife, Bobs Cogill Haworth—remain valued for their luminous colour and strong decorative presence. Today, Haworth’s paintings represent not only a significant artistic vision but also a lasting influence on Canadian art history, making them compelling acquisitions for collectors.