Canadian 1916-2007 

Myfanwy Spencer Pavelic and Robin Skelton at the Inaugural Limners Exhibition ca. 1972
Image courtesy of the University of Victoria Special Collections

Myfanwy Spencer Pavelic belonged to an influential Victoria family who were strong patrons of the arts. Her aunt, Sarah Spencer, donated her 1889 mansion to house the new Art Gallery of Greater Victoria in 1951. Her mother arranged for Myfanwy to help Emily Carr in her studio, and in turn, Carr organized an exhibition of her work when Pavelic was still a teenager.

Although she spent most of the 1960s in New York, Pavelic’s strong ties to the art scene in Victoria called her back by the end of the decade. She played a prominent role in the Limners group, gathering friends together and depicting many of them in her work.  Her mastery of the human figure and portraits of well-known sitters including Pierre Trudeau, Yehudi Menuhin and Katherine Hepburn led to her international acclaim as a portrait artist.

Decision 1969
Charcoal on paper
35.5 x 36.5
Gift of the artist