Early Life and Artistic Foundations Horatio Walker, born in Listowel, Upper Canada, in 1858, emerged from a modest background where the seeds of artistic inclination were nonetheless carefully nurtured. His parents, Thomas and Jeanne Maurice Walker, instilled a value for education and creative expression that would profoundly shape his life’s path. Though his father pursued various trades – cabinetmaking, timber trading, and even dabbling in sculpture – he consistently encouraged young Horatio's burgeoning talent for drawing. Early trips with his father to the Quebec City region introduced h…