At the same time, though, it was possible for some people to wonder to what extent Lawson was an outsider at all. Later that year, he was named an associate member of the National Academy of Design, and he was made a full academician in 1917. He exhibited as a member of the Canadian Art Club from 1911 to 1915. He benefited from regular gallery representation, won many prizes throughout his career, and was highly regarded by his peers. In fact, William Merritt Chase considered him America's greatest landscape painter, an endorsement that carried a healthy cachet with it. None of this translated into wealth or fame in the long run, however. Lawson had financial problems all his life and suffered from poor health in his later years.