Gertrude Eleanor Spurr Cutts was born in Yorkshire, England, where she began her career. She exhibited her work with the Royal Society of British Artists and the Society of Women Artists in England.
In 1890, Cutts emigrated to Canada, moving to Toronto, and then opening an art studio. Cutts exhibited her work at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. In 1900, continued her art studies at the Art Students League of New York with George Bridgman, Birge Harrison, and John F. Carlson. Three giants in art instruction. She later became a member of The Toronto Art Students’ League, An Associate for the Royal Canadian Academy of Art (RCA) and the Ontario Society of Artists (OSA).
In 1909, she married William Cutts, also an established artist. Following their marriage the couple travelled to England where they spent 3 years painting in England. For a short time the lived in St. Ives, Cornwall, England, then returned to Toronto in 1912. In 1915, settling in Port Perry, Ontario, where Cutts was to remain for the rest of her life.
Cutts painted in many mediums including oil, watercolour paintings and pen and ink. She is perhaps best known for her rural landscape paintings such as the one we have up for sale. In addition to painting, Cutts also worked as a restorer of old or damaged paintings. In fact, she wrote a manual on her processes that is in the AGO fonds.
Cutts' work is included in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, The Province of Ontario, as well as the Robert McLaughlin Gallery.
She died in Port Perry, Ontario in 1941.