Robert Theodore Kost (1936–2003) was a self-taught Canadian prairie artist known for his magic realist style. His art focused on small-town life and the simple beauty of the prairies. His work is featured in the collection of The Canada Council for the Arts and can be seen in collections of large corporations, federal and provincial governments, and private collectors across North America. Kost was notorious for burning any paintings that he was not satisfied with and thus destroyed hundreds of works over the years, yet sold more than 300 paintings over the course of his 40-year career.