Frederick Sproston Challener was born at Whetstone, England, in 1869 and came to Canada with his parents the next year. The family returned to England in 1876 and moved back to Toronto in 1883. He was able to study art through the generosity ofJohn A Fraser and G.A. Reid. As a commercial artist, he earned his living doing illustrations for newspapers and advertisements. He painted many murals in Toronto and other Canadian cities, occasionally working with his friend, C.W. Jeffreys. In 1899, he became a member of the Royal Canadian Academy and belonged to several other arts organizations. In 1898, he visited England, Italy, and the near East. From 1921 to 1924, he taught at the Central Technical School in Toronto and the Ontario College of Art from 1927 to 1952. He died in Toronto in 1959.
