Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall
Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall
1860 - 1930
ARCA OSA
Best known for her portraits of mothers and children, Laura Adeline Muntz Lyall was born in Warwickshire, England in 1860 and immigrated with her family to Canada shortly after, settling in a farm in the Muskoka area in Ontario. Woman and children were one of Muntz’s favourite themes. This was a genre popular at the time, but Muntz’s extensive exploration of this theme was heartfelt, and her paintings depicted her subjects sensitively, candidly and naturally.
Lyall studied to become a school teacher, but in the process she became interested in art, and it led her to take lessons in painting from artist William Charles Foster, who recognized her talent. She studied for a year at the Ontario School of Art, and afterward, traveled to England to study at St. John’s Wood Art School in London. In 1891, Muntz went to Paris, France and studied at the Académie Colarossi. While there, she was influenced by Impressionism, but also affected by Old Master artists such as Rembrandt. She was there for seven years altogether, and exhibited in the Paris Salon exhibitions. This marked the beginning of the second period of Muntz’s work, and a solidification of her authority in portraying her subjects.
When Muntz returned to Canada in 1898, she set up a studio in Toronto. She also became an associate of the Royal College of Art. Muntz typically isolated her subjects against a dark background, to show the importance of the figure; a way of painting that is quite traditional in style. Although figurative work was the core of her oeuvre, she also painted landscapes and genre scenes such as Dutch subjects.
Muntz moved to New York in 1904, but after returning to Canada, she decided to live in Montreal. This was a successful period for the artist, and she loved the vibrancy of the culture there. In 1914 she returned to Toronto and married, while continuing her painting.
Muntz was one of the first Canadian women artists to receive recognition outside of Canada – her works were exhibited in the United States and in France. In 1895, she was elected a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, and was only the eighth woman to receive this honour. In 1891, she became a member of the Ontario Society of Artists and was appointed the first female member of its Executive Council from 1899 to 1903. Her work is in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Vancouver Art Gallery and many others.
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Reflections of Beauty by Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall sold for $40,950
Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall
Reflections of Beauty
35 x 27 1/2 in, 88.9 x 69.8 cm
circa 1912
oil on canvas
Estimate: $25,000 - $35,000 CDN
Sold for: $40,950 CDN (premium included)
Spring 2010 - 2nd Session on Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Portrait of Gertrude Marjorie Cook by Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall sold for $19,550
Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall
Portrait of Gertrude Marjorie Cook
19 1/2 x 14 in, 49.5 x 35.6 cm
pastel on paper
Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000 CDN
Sold for: $19,550 CDN (premium included)
Fine Canadian Art Spring 2007 on Wednesday, May 23, 2007
A Little Vandal by Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall sold for $12,500
Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall
A Little Vandal
24 1/4 x 18 in, 61.6 x 45.7 cm
pastel on paper
Estimate: $8,000 - $10,000 CDN
Sold for: $12,500 CDN (premium included)
Fine Canadian & Impressionist Art on Thursday, May 29, 2025
In the Park by Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall sold for $11,000
Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall
In the Park
23 x 34 in, 58.5 x 86 cm
1891
oil on canvas
Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000 CDN
Sold for: $11,000 CDN (premium included)
on Thursday, November 09, 1995
Sailor Girl by Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall sold for $7,020
Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall
Sailor Girl
14 x 10 in, 35.6 x 25.4 cm
watercolour on paper
Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000 CDN
Sold for: $7,020 CDN (premium included)
Fall 2008 - 2nd Session on Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Portrait of a Young Girl by Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall sold for $6,250
Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall
Portrait of a Young Girl
22 x 17 3/4 in, 55.9 x 45.1 cm
oil on canvas
Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000 CDN
Sold for: $6,250 CDN (premium included)
Fine Canadian Art on Saturday, May 27, 2023
Evening Bathers by Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall sold for $4,130
Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall
Evening Bathers
16 x 14 in, 40.6 x 35.6 cm
oil on canvas
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000 CDN
Sold for: $4,130 CDN (premium included)
November 2016 - 10th Session on Saturday, November 26, 2016
Portrait of a Young Girl by Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall sold for $4,095
Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall
Portrait of a Young Girl
11 5/8 x 9 1/8 in, 29.5 x 23.2 cm
watercolour on paper on board
Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000 CDN
Sold for: $4,095 CDN (premium included)
February 2012 - 1st Session on Thursday, February 23, 2012
At the Ferry by Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall sold for $3,750
Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall
At the Ferry
12 1/2 x 22 1/5 in, 31.7 x 56.4 cm
watercolour on paper
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000 CDN
Sold for: $3,750 CDN (premium included)
Fine Canadian & Impressionist Art on Thursday, May 29, 2025
Evening Bathers by Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall sold for $3,738
Laura Adelaine Muntz Lyall
Evening Bathers
16 x 14 in, 40.6 x 35.6 cm
oil on canvas
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000 CDN
Sold for: $3,738 CDN (premium included)
Fine Canadian Art Spring 2002 on Thursday, May 02, 2002