Antonia Eastman, 1886 - 1972

Antonia was born Antonia Larribe in Paris, France in 1886. At the young age of 12 years old, she became orphaned and began living with her aunt. 

Eastman showed an early interest in language, literature and art, so it was natural that she would study painting. She was fortunate enough to study at the Studio of Fernand Leger in Paris.

She met and married Canadian Diplomat, Professor Mack Eastman in Paris. They moved to Geneva, Switzerland where they welcomed two children while Mack served at the League of Nations. However, their lives were disrupted by the rise of Nazism and the pending World War II, they made the decision to move back to Mack’s native country; Canada.

In Canada, Antonia continued her study of painting at the University of Saskatchewan with Ernest Linder and Nikola Bjelajac. She studied at the Banff School of Arts in 1944 and again in 1950. She became a member of the Canadian Women Painters. Her work was shown right across the country, from Montreal and  Toronto to Vancouver, and  then abroad in London, England.

Antonia and her husband finally relocated to Bowen Island, B.C. There Eastman would paint the wild landscape with her son-in-law.

Although she worked primarily in oils, she also experimented with acrylic, watercolour and printmaking. 

Antonia passed away in 1972 in Vancouver, BC. She was 86 years old. 

Selected Collections
The Feckless Collection, Vancouver, BC
Saskatchewan Arts Board, Saskatoon, SK
Saskatoon Public Library, SK