Frederick Challener
Frederick Sproston Challener (1869–1959), also known as F.S. Challener, was a Canadian painter of murals as well as an easel painter of oils and watercolours and a draftsman in black-and-white and pastel. He also did illustrations for books and commercial art. He "easily ranks with the first few mural decorators in Canada", wrote Newton MacTavish, author of The Fine Arts in Canada (MacMillan, 1925) Biography Early years Challener was born in Whetstone, Middlesex, England. His family moved to Canada in 1870, but returned to England in 1876 where Frederick attended school, then came back to Canada permanently in 1883. He worked as an office boy for a business firm and drew individuals he saw from a window. Artist and photographer, John Arthur Fraser, of the Notman and Fraser firm, recognized his talent and paid for him to attend the Ontario School of Art at night (from 1884 to 1886). Afterwards, Challener studied at the Toronto Art Students League (1885-1889) and privately with George Agnew Reid for some years from 1890 on while working for the Toronto Lithographing Company. After five years there, he became a newspaper artist and worked as a full-time artist thereafter. Career Challener's first commission for a