We have an excellent representation of Panton's work at the gallery. With a passion for education, Panton was constantly improving his own work, resulting in an impressive variety of compositions: from dark and powerful paintings of abstract rock formations, to impressive watercolour landscapes and thoughtful figurative sketches. 

Originally from England, Lawrence Arthur Colley Panton emigtated to Canada with his family in 1911. He served in the war, and on his return attended the Toronto Art School (Ontario College of Art) and Central Technical School. He worked as a graphic designer at the firm Rous and Mann. He became an art teacher in 1924 and eventually became principal of the Ontario College of Art, a position he held until his death. He had an incredible influence on the next generation of artists he encountered through teaching. He also continued to study and improve his own painting techniques, becoming one of the most technically accomplished artists of his generation.

Panton's work was the subject of a major retrospective exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario in 1990, appropriately titled "Towards a Lyrical Abstraction."