It turns out that 181 Balmoral was the longtime residence of Cleeve and Jean Horne. "Who," you might be asking, "are the Horne's?" Cleeve was a famous portrait artist and sculptor, and his wife, Jean, a sculptor. Among the portraits Cleeve Horne painted were, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, as well as past presidents and other diginitaries of the University of Toronto.
The Horne's purchased the house in 1940 and in 1947 had it redesigned in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Cleeve Horne's portrait work spans a period of over 4 decades. His work reflects a cubist influence that became more evident in his later portraits. Horne painted colour and light in shapes and patterns, using muted tones with a hit of colour that gives his portraits their richness. The Diefenbaker portrait is a spectacular example of Horne's work.
To see more of Horne's work, go to the Cleeve Horne website or, to the Ontario Society of Artists archives. If you go to Simcoe Hall at the UofT you will also see several portraits on display.
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