Eric Riordon (Canadian, 1906-1948) Iceland Ships

Eric Riordon (Canadian, 1906-1948) Iceland – US Destroyer, Canadian Corvette. John Eric Benson Riordon was born in St. Catharines, Ont., Dec. 5, 1906, and moved with his family to Montreal two years later. A dropout at McGill University, he later attended art classes at La Grande Chaumiere and Academie Julian in Paris from 1932 to 1934. He is more widely known for his landscape art featuring the Quebec wilderness and seascapes. During his wartime service, LCdr Riordon’s ship, HMCS Kenora, engaged in anti-submarine warfare and protection of convoys during the Battle of the Atlantic. Riordon painted while on shore service. His wartime service as part of the convoy escort inspired him to create a series of 34 paintings depicting a typical convoy journey from St. John’s to Great Britain. After his early death in 1948, his widow Mollie organized a Montreal exhibition of these works in 1950, titled North Atlantic Convoy. This exhibition then toured Canada until 1952. The convoy paintings were later sold individually. In the late 1950s, Mollie also sold some of Riordon’s other artwork through his former gallery, Continental Galleries and antoher gallery. The offered painting, likely painted during 1944/45 is number 31 in the series. Signed lower right, with information on verso including title. Measuring 6 inches H x 8 W, frame measures 12.5 x 14.5 inches.

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