Henrietta Hancock Britton (May 20, 1873 – July 27, 1963) was an English-born Canadian artist and educator.

Early life and career

Born Henrietta Hancock in Ealing West, West London on May 20, 1873, she arrived in Canada with her parents in 1874. The family lived in both

Brandon, Manitoba Brandon () is the second-largest city in the province of Manitoba, Canada. It is located in the southwestern corner of the province on the banks of the Assiniboine River, approximately west of the provincial capital, Winnipeg, and east of the ...

and

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

. She studied art at the Ontario School of Art and Design and also took private lessons with William Cruikshank. Britton was an active member of the Art Student's League in Toronto, serving as its treasurer. She taught art at the Bishop Strachan School and Moulton Ladies' College. Britton was the director of Art at

Brandon College Brandon University is a university located in the city of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, with an enrollment of 3375 (2020) full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students. The current location was founded on July 13, 1899, as Brandon C ...

from 1906 to 1911 and was a founding member of the Brandon Art Club in 1907. She married painter

Harry Britton Harry Britton (September 23, 1878 – July 23, 1958) was an English-born Canadian painter and educator. The son of George Britton and Mary (Tredgett) Cooper, he was born in Cambridge and came to Toronto with his parents in 1881. Britton at ...

while studying art with him in England. The couple lived in

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

before moving to Canada and settling in Toronto in 1914. From 1905 to 1946, she exhibited with the

Royal Canadian Academy The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) is a Canadian arts-related organization that was founded in 1880. History 1880 to 1890 The title of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts was received from Queen Victoria on 16 July 1880. The Governor General ...

and with the

Art Association of Montreal The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA; french: Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, MBAM) is an art museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the largest art museum in Canada by gallery space. The museum is located on the historic Golden Square ...

from 1945 to 1946. She was known for painting landscapes, seascapes and portraits. Britton died in Toronto at the age of 90 on July 27, 1963. Her work is included in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada and in private collections.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Britton, Henrietta Hancock 1873 births 1963 deaths Canadian women painters 20th-century Canadian educators Canadian women educators OCAD University alumni British emigrants to Canada