Henrietta Britton (1877-1967), née Henrietta Hancock, was born in London, England, shortly before her family moved to Canada. As a child, Hancock lived in both Brandon, Manitoba, and Toronto. At the age of 18, in 1891, she began her arts education at the Ontario School of Art and Design in Toronto. There, she met William Cruikshank, with whom she began taking private lessons. During that time, she was an eager member of the Art Students League of Toronto, for which she became treasurer in 1896. In the following years, Hancock instructed art at Bishop Strachan School and Moulton Ladies College, with a brief hiatus in 1901 to study at galleries abroad. In 1905, Hancock began exhibiting with the Royal Canadian Academy of Art (RCA).
In 1906, Hancock became the Director of Art at Brandon College. Her classes often focused on the works of old masters. She remained in this position until 1911.
In 1911, Hancock traveled to England, where she took classes in St. Ives, Cornwall, under Harry Britton, a celebrated marine painter and a fellow exhibitor at the RCA. Britton and Hancock were married in 1914, and that same year, the two moved to Toronto, where they remained until their return to Europe in 1921. Many of Hancock’s pieces during this time depict her travels throughout Europe. In 1925, Hancock returned to Canada with her husband, and the two settled in Amherst, Nova Scotia, until 1934. Between 1945 and 1946, Hancock exhibited with the Art Association of Montreal, as well as the Canadian National Exhibit. She also received commissions around Toronto—most notably a mural for the Ossington Avenue Church and another for the Scott Mission, also in Toronto. Hancock was a devout member of the Baptist Church.
Hancock’s artistic work was celebrated for its harmony. Speaking of his wife, Harry Britton said, “[Henrietta] excels me in balance and composition.” Hancock died in 1967 at the age of 90 and was buried alongside her husband in Prospect Cemetery in Toronto. Hancock’s work, which consists largely of landscapes and portraits in oil and pastel, is held within the National Gallery of Canada and private collections.
Written by Maddy Chinneck.
Sources:
Concordia University. “Artist Profile: Henrietta Hancock Britton.” Canadian Women Artists History Initiative. Concordia University. Accessed n.d. https://cwahi.concordia.ca/sources/artists/displayArtist.php?ID_artist=4954.
“Harry Britton.” Wikipedia. Accessed n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Britton.
“Harry Britton.” Nash Gallery. Accessed n.d. https://nashgallery.ca/harry-britton/.
“Henrietta Hancock Britton.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrietta_Hancock_Britton.