Geoffrey Traunter (1901-1979) born in Liverpool turn of the Century and arriving in Quebec City 1928, after WWI. Little is known of his training or his exposure to the great war or his early activities in his new country but during the next few years he achieved the stature of a listed Canadian artist.

He is represented by Vancouver Public Library - Fine Arts and History Department, University of British Columbia - Fine Arts Library, Vancouver Art Gallery - Library and the National Gallery of Canada.

It was possibly in the 1940's when his artwork took him into a new direction. Like many of the Group of Seven painters, (Tom Thomson, Arthur Lismer, Frank Carmichael, Frank Johnston, etc.) , who worked at 'The Grip' , all as illustrators in the early 1900's, Geoffrey was an illustrator working with designs and advertising, up until 1948 and possibly the early 1950's, his day job being an illustrator with the Canadian Home Journal.

By the 1960's he was centered in Toronto and moved around in artistic circles making a name for himself as a portraitist. There is an article in the Ottawa Journal in 1967 where one of his portraits was written up in that journal as: "Toronto artist Geoffrey Traunter's, 'Seventeen Today' is portraiture at its best".

When exactly he moved to Vancouver I'm not sure but it is recorded that Loraine Wellman, a successful West Coast artist studied portrait painting with Geoffrey Traunter.

Colette Boky (born 1935) is a French-Canadian operatic soprano, particularly associated with lyric roles in the French, Italian, and German repertories.

In 1961, she made her stage debut with the "Théâtre lyrique de Nouvelle-France", as Rosina in 'The Barber of Seville'. After winning the 1962 Prix d'Europe, she went to Paris to continue her studies. Her career became truly international in 1967, with her Metropolitan Opera debut as The Queen of The Night in The Magic Flute. Boky began teaching at L'Université du Québec in 1981, and was artistic director of the opera studio there. She was awarded with the Calixa-Lavallée Award in 1971, and the Prix Denise Pelletier in 1986.

The painting is in excellent condition.

Unframed image: 24" x 18"

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