Francis Michael Forster - Meet the Artists (Menu A to G) - Canadian War Artists - Exhibitions

Like many war artists Francis Forster is a globe trotter. He was born in Calcutta, India, then immigrated to Canada and settled in Toronto in 1928. His studies led him to London and Paris, where he studied under Bernard Meninsky and William Roberts. In 1943, the National Gallery of Canada charged Francis Forster and Jack Nichols with documenting the movements of the Merchant Navy. He sailed with a convoy from Halifax to Jamaica.

In October 1944, Forster joined the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve and served until June 1946. As a war artist, he painted motor torpedo boats and the ports of the English Channel, but was particularly affected by the state of the town of Brest, where shelling had transformed it into a field of ruins.

PA-205382
War artist Francis Michael Forster puts the final touch to his work.