Ben Uri Research Unit

Born: 1905 Vancouver, Canada

Died: 1996 London, England

Year of Migration to the UK: 1935

Biography

Painter Hugh Cronyn was born in Vancouver, Canada, in 1905, into a family of French-Canadian descent. Cronyn’s early career was rooted in business, working for the Anglo-American Tea Company in Toronto between 1923 and 1928. However, during this period, he began taking evening drawing classes at the Ontario School of Art, which ignited his passion for painting. His formal education in art began when he studied under Franz Johnston, a notable Canadian landscape painter and member of the Group of Seven, who provided foundation training and mentorship. In 1929, Cronyn moved to New York, USA to study at the prestigious Art Students League, where he focused on portrait painting. His time there exposed him to a variety of influences and deepened his understanding of modernist techniques. The following year, he attended the American School of Fine Arts in Fontainebleau, France, where he immersed himself in European art traditions. His artistic journey continued when he travelled to Paris in 1931, studying under Cubist master André Lhote. Lhote’s mentorship had a lasting impact on Cronyn’s artistic approach, urging him to combine abstract elements with caricature in its 'noble sense' (Colchester Art Society). This balance became a defining feature of his style throughout his career.

Cronyn spent much of the early 1930s travelling throughout Europe, visiting Italy, Germany, and Spain, where he absorbed the diverse artistic traditions of these regions. In 1935, he settled in Hammersmith, west London, where he moved in the circle of fellow local artists such as Julian Trevelyan, Ceri Richards, and his neighbour, Gertrude Hermes (from who he learnt wood engraving) and he found inspiration in the landscapes and bustling life along the Thames nearby. In his own studio he held sketching classes with Victor Pasmore, Claude Rogers and Elsie Few (Chiswick Auctions) and forged relationships with many key figures in the wider British art scene, including Edna Ginesi. These connections fuelled his experimental approach to painting, which often prioritised artistic exploration over commercial success. His evolving techniques allowed him to continually rethink how he represented the landscapes of East Anglia, the Thames, France, and Canada.

His first solo exhibition was held in Toronto in 1936 and, in the same year, he contributed a painting of St. Peter’s Square, Hammersmith, to the London Group’s annual exhibition. During the Second World War, Cronyn enlisted in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve and was eventually promoted to Lieutenant Commander. Known for his courage, he volunteered for bomb disposal, earning the prestigious George Medal for defusing a device in a tanker loaded with high-octane fuel. This wartime experience profoundly affected him, influencing the tone and subject matter of his postwar paintings, which often captured the quiet resilience and beauty of everyday life. Despite the mental scars left by his wartime service, Cronyn’s paintings reflected a deep belief in the richness of human experience, with a vibrancy and luminosity that counterbalanced the darker periods of his life.

In 1949, after being appointed a tutor at Colchester School of Art, where he remained for twenty years, mentoring a generation of young artists, Cronyn moved with his wife and daughters to a farmhouse in Suffolk. This new environment allowed him to focus on painting the landscapes of rural England, a subject that would feature prominently in his later work. His paintings, known for their emotional depth and lyrical quality, ranged from landscapes to still lifes, often incorporating elements of Post-Impressionism and Cubism. In 1960, Cronyn and his wife bought a second home in Quercy, Southwest France, where he was captivated by the region’s natural beauty. He would spend part of each year in France, producing vibrant landscape paintings that reflected his deep connection to the land. By the 1970s, Cronyn’s eyesight began to fail, but his passion for painting remained undiminished. Despite his deteriorating vision, he continued to paint with characteristic boldness and creativity, adapting his methods to his changing circumstances. He and his wife returned to London in 1975, settling once again in Hammersmith, where he continued to paint the Thames. His work from this period reflects a profound sensitivity to the changing light and mood of the river, a subject that had fascinated him throughout his life. In 1989, Cronyn published a memoir, Steady As You Go: A Canadian at Sea, in which he reflected on his wartime experiences and artistic journey.

Cronyn exhibited widely throughout his career, with his work shown at prominent galleries in London, Colchester, and Lavenham, alongside solo exhibitions in cities in his homeland, such as Victoria, Montreal, and Toronto. He was a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition from 1945–1986. Hugh Cronyn died in Hammersmith, London on 25 July 1996. In 1990, a retrospective of his work was held at the Phoenix Gallery, Lavenham, Suffolk. In the UK public domain, his work is represented in the Victor Batte-Lay Foundation, Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, and Guildhall Art Gallery, among others.

Related books

‘Hugh Cronyn’, The Times, 5 August 1996, p. 19
Hugh Cronyn, Steady As You Go: A Canadian at Sea (London: H. Cronyn, 1989)
‘Hugh, Face to Face’, Suffolk and Essex Free Press, 14 March 1985, p. 21
Hugh Cronyn in the '80s, exhibition catalogue (Lavenham: Phoenix Gallery 1985)
Hugh Cronyn: Paintings and Drawings, exhibition catalogue, (Colchester: Digby Gallery, 1982)
Prints by Julian Trevelyan, Oil Paintings by Hugh Cronyn (Sudbury: Gainsborough's House, 1978)
Hugh Cronyn: A Selection of Paintings 1932-72, exhibition catalogue (Colchester: The Minories, 1972)
‘Hugh Cronyn's Work at the Minories’, Suffolk and Essex Free Press, 9 June 1960, p. 11
‘No Shocks in This Selection’, Hampshire Telegraph, 23 October 1959, p. 6
‘Their Wives’, Hull Daily Mail, 22 July 1949, p. 4

Related organisations

American School of Fine Arts (student)
Architectural Association School of Architecture (teacher)
Art Students League, New York (student)
Colchester Art Society (member)
Colchester School of Art (teacher)
Ontario School of Art, Toronto (student)
Royal Society of Portrait Painters (member)

Selected exhibitions

Phoenix Gallery, Lavenham, Suffolk (1997)
Phoenix Gallery, Lavenham, Suffolk (1996)
Retrospective Exhibition, Phoenix Gallery, Lavenham (1990)
Hugh Cronyn in the '80s, Phoenix Gallery, Lavenham (1987, 1985)
Hugh Cronyn: Paintings and Drawings, Digby Gallery, Colchester (1982)
Prints by Julian Trevelyan, Oil Paintings by Hugh Cronyn, Gainsborough's House, Sudbury (1978)
Fundraising Exhibition, organised by the Nayland Committee of Action Research for the Crippled Child, Shaddelows Farm, Nayland (1975)
Retrospective exhibition, The Minories, Colchester (1972)
Canada House, London (1972)
Hugh Cronin, Essex Show (1950)
Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Ferens Art Gallery; Leamington Art Gallery (1949)
London Group, London (1936)

Ben Uri archive

Consult items in the Ben Uri archive related to [Hugh Cronyn ]

Ben Uri Research Unit

for the study and digital recording of the Jewish, Refugee and wide Immigrant contribution to British visual culture since 1900.

Hugh Cronyn artist