Albert Franck
Albert Jacques Franck (2 April 1899 – 28 February 1973) was a Canadian artist. He is known for his realistic paintings of Toronto winter scenes, dilapidated neighbourhoods and back lanes. His detailed paintings provide a historical record of conditions in some of Toronto's once less affluent neighbourhoods. Early life Franck was born at Middelburg, the Netherlands. As a young man he was a champion swimmer. He moved to Canada in 1926, making his living as a swimming instructor and by working in factories He later worked in an art gallery and sold picture frames. Career Franck opened a studio in his small home on Gerrard Street in Toronto. He began by hanging some of his paintings in a local restaurant, and in this way his work became locally known. In the 1950s he and his wife, artist Florence Vale, developed the studio into a gathering place for the arts community. They hosted and supported the work of many young local artists, particularly those participating in the emerging Toronto abstract art scene, including Joyce Wieland and Kazuo Nakamura. Franck and Vale later moved to a larger home, which also served as their studio and gallery, on Hazelton Street as part of