Nan Lawson Cheney

Nan Lawson Cheney
Born1897
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
Died1985(1985-00-00) (aged 87–88)
Vancouver, Canada
EducationNewcombe College Art School, Tulane U., New Orleans, La. (c. 1917-1918); with Max Broedel at the School of Medical Illustration, Johns Hopkins U., Baltimore, Md. (1920-1921); J.W. Beatty at the Ontario College of Art Summer School, Port Hope, Ont.; with Franklin Brownell, Art Assoc. of Ottawa (c. 1926); with Aldro T. Hibbard, Summer School of Drawing & Painting, Rockport, Mass. (1927); with Lilias Torrance Newton, Art Assoc. of Mtl. (c. 1934); with Alexandre Iacovleff, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (1936)
Known forartist, medical illustrator
SpouseDr. Hill Cheney (m. 1924)

Nan Lawson Cheney (1897–1985) was a Canadian painter and medical artist.

Career

Cheney was born in Windsor, Nova Scotia[1] and spent part of her childhood in Havana, Cuba.[2] She studied at the Newcombe College Art School, Tulane University, New Orleans, La. (c. 1917-1918); and with Max Broedel at the School of Medical Illustration, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. (1920-1921). She then was employed as a medical illustrator at McGill University, Mtl. (1921-1924).

She studied fine art with J.W. Beatty at the Ontario College of Art Summer School, Port Hope, Ont.; with Franklin Brownell, Art Assoc. of Ottawa (c. 1926); with Aldro T. Hibbard, Summer School of Drawing & Painting, Rockport, Mass. (1927); with Lilias Torrance Newton, Art Assoc. of Montreal (c. 1934); and with Alexandre Iacovleff, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (1936). In the 1930's and 40's she travelled widely throughout B.C., painting landscapes and industrial subjects.[3][4][5] In 1924, she married Dr. Hill Cheney.[4] In 1937, the couple moved to Vancouver, and Nan Cheney became the University of British Columbia's first medical artist.[4] She held this position until 1962.[4]

In Vancouver, Cheney worked with Group of Seven member Lawren Harris and Jock Macdonald, accompanying them on sketching trips.[4] She also worked closely with her friend Emily Carr.[4] Dear Nan: Letters of Emily Carr, Nan Cheney, and Humphrey Toms (edited by Doreen Walker) was published in 1990.[6]

She showed with the British Columbia Society of Fine Arts until 1950. She taught at the Banff School of Fine Arts, Alta. (1936); and taught at U.B.C., Van. (1951-1962).[3] Her work is included in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada (which holds Cheney's portrait of Carr)[1] and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.[7] She was affiliated with the British Columbia Society of Fine Arts (member in 1937); the Federation of Canadian Artists (1941); and the British Columbia Society of Artists (1950) (she was made a life member in 1957).[3] She died in Vancouver in 1985.[1] The Nan Cheney fonds is in the UBC Library, University of British Columbia.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Nan Lawson Cheney". National Gallery of Canada. Archived from the original on 12 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Anatomical Illustrations: Nan Lawson Cheney". www.clinicalanatomy.ca. UBC, dept. Clinical Anatomy. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b c A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, volumes 1-8 by Colin S. MacDonald, and volume 9 (online only), by Anne Newlands and Judith Parker National Gallery of Canada / Musée des beaux-arts du Canada
  4. ^ a b c d e f "B.C.'s first medical artist dies at 88". The Vancouver Sun. 7 November 1985. p. 45. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  5. ^ Hassard, Kathy (30 November 1961). "Her work portraits 'perfection of body'". The Vancouver Sun. p. 52. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  6. ^ Walker, Doreen (1990). Dear Nan Letters of Emily Carr, Nan Cheney, and Humphrey Toms. Vancouver: UBC Press. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia | Art Gallery of Greater Victoria". Archived from the original on 12 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  8. ^ "Nan Cheney fonds". www.yumpu.com. UBC. Retrieved 11 May 2022.