Robert Pilot, 1898 – 1967
The 4 Most Famous Robert Pilot Paintings, Ranked
The best-loved painting by Robert Pilot is Amiens Advance (1918), which hangs in the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa. Casualties at Cambrai (1918) and Shellburst (1918) come next among the canvases readers know best. Our catalogue holds 10 works by Robert Pilot: here are the 4 most famous, each with its year, its museum and what makes it memorable.
Ranked by our popularity score, which combines the searches, visits and orders for each work. Updated November 2026.
- Born · died
- 1898 – 1967, St. John's
- Works in our catalogue
- 10
- Most famous
- Amiens Advance (1918)
- Most works at
- Canadian War Museum
Top 10 Robert Pilot paintings: the canvases everyone knows
Where Robert Pilot's canvases hang
The museum that holds the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Robert Pilot | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Canadian War Museum |
Ottawa | 4 | Amiens Advance, Casualties at Cambrai, Shellburst |
Robert Pilot's best-loved canvases, year by year
Every dated canvas by Robert Pilot on this page was painted in 1918; here they are, the most famous first.
-
1918
Ranked 1 of 4Amiens Advance
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1918
Canvas 2 of 4Casualties at Cambrai
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1918
Ranked 3 of 4Shellburst
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1918
Ranked 4 of 4War Scene
About Robert Pilot's canvases: your questions answered
What is the best-known painting by Robert Pilot?Read the answer
Amiens Advance (1918), Canadian War Museum, Ottawa. Casualties at Cambrai (1918) and Shellburst (1918) follow.
What age was Robert Pilot when Amiens Advance was painted?Read the answer
Robert Pilot, born in 1898, was 20 years old: Amiens Advance dates from 1918.
How many works did Robert Pilot paint in all?Read the answer
10 works by Robert Pilot are in our catalogue.
Where can I see Robert Pilot's most famous canvases?Read the answer
Mostly in Canadian War Museum (Ottawa); the list above names each museum and its canvases.
When did Robert Pilot paint the best-loved canvases?Read the answer
In 1918, which gave 4 of the 4 works on this page, Amiens Advance among them.
Which Robert Pilot canvases hang at the Canadian War Museum?Read the answer
The Canadian War Museum, Ottawa holds 4 of the works on this page, among them Amiens Advance, Casualties at Cambrai and Shellburst.
Robert Pilot: a life in paint
The Life and Art of Robert Pilot
Robert Pilot was a Canadian artist who worked primarily in oil on canvas or on panel, and he was also an etcher and muralist. Born in St. John's, Newfoundland, he moved to Montreal as a child when his mother married the artist Maurice Cullen. During his youth, Pilot assisted Cullen in his studio and accompanied him on sketching trips. His formal training began with night classes at the Monument National in Montreal, followed by studies at the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts with William Brymner, and eventually full-time classes at the Art Association of Montreal.
His artistic journey took him to Paris, where he studied at the Académie Julian from 1920 to 1922. During this period, he exhibited at the Paris Salon and was elected a member of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. Upon returning to Canada, he became an associate of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1925 and a full member in 1935, later serving as the academy's president from 1952 to 1954.
Artistic Focus and Legacy
Pilot was known for his ability to capture the tone and atmosphere, particularly at twilight, of the landscape of Quebec. He preferred to paint urban landscapes and was influenced by the work of Maurice Cullen, Camille Pissarro, and James Wilson Morrice. His artistic output included commissions as a book illustrator and several murals, most notably his 1953 mural for the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Beyond his studio work, Pilot served in both World Wars. He served as a gunner on trench mortars during World War I and later served as a captain in The Black Watch during World War II, where he was mentioned in dispatches while in Italy. His work has been presented to Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth II, and his pieces are held in various collections, including:
- National Gallery of Canada
- Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
- Royal Collection Trust
- Sobey Art Foundation