Saturday, January 19, 2019

Canadian Character

I start today with this view near where I left off yesterday. The display case in the foreground features First Nations artifacts. In the background are three Tom Thomson paintings. At left, Burnt Land is a 1915 oil depicting the aftermath of a fire. Northern River is in the centre, and was done in 1914-15. The Jack Pine is one of his masterpieces, and it is at right. Finished in the year of his death, it depicts a tree at Grand Lake in Algonquin Park.


Carrying on with the Group of Seven's presence in this Gallery, here we have another Lawren Harris. Maligne Lake, Jasper Park is a 1924 oil painting showing the lake in the national park in Alberta.


Emily Carr was associated with the Group of Seven, and throughout her career as an artist was drawn to the totem poles and landscapes familiar to the Pacific Coast First Nations. British Columbia Landscape is the title of this painting circa 1934.


The Welcome Men is a 1913 oil painting by Carr, showing a potlatch figure at the village of 'Mimkwamlis near Alert Bay against a sunset.


Like the Group of Seven, the Beaver Hall Group was a set of artists who exhibited together. Based out of Quebec, they exhibited for a briefer time- 1920-23, and had no single unified style. Unlike the Group of Seven, the Beaver Hall Group also consisted of a roughly equivalent number of men and women. One of their number, Regina Seiden Goldberg, painted Nudes circa 1925.


Another member of the group was Prudence Heward, who was not as prolific an artist as others due to health issues, but is noted for her strong portraits of women. Girl In Yellow Sweater is a 1936 oil painting that certainly fits her motif.


Moving on, we have this painting by Carl Schaefer, who had studied with a couple of members of the Group of Seven. Summer Harvest, Hanover is a 1935 oil painting showing a landscape in southwestern Ontario. Incidentally, my grandparents had a farm in this area for years.


Charles F. Comfort painted a different kind of landscape. Tadoussac is a 1935 oil painting capturing a harbour view. Years later Comfort would serve as the director of the National Gallery, from 1959-65.


For something quite different, we turn to one I've shown you before. Alberta Blues is a 1966 oil painting by Alex Janvier, the Dene artist whose Morning Star is over at the Canadian Museum of History. Janvier's First Nations roots mix with abstract influences in a dazzling way. He had a major retrospective of his works here at the Gallery in 2017, and is still active today, with a studio bearing his name out in Cold Lake. I don't often go for abstract art, but Janvier's style tremendously appeals to me.


I came back out into the grand hall, where I photographed the view before heading up to the world art galleries. We'll start looking at that tomorrow.

38 comments:

  1. Schaefer's painting has a real surreal, Dali vibe. Good photos

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  2. Quite a range of styles - I like them all, but the last one is my favorite.

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  3. All of these paintings appeal to me but Maligne Lake, Jasper Park is my favourite.

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  4. Hello William!
    Wonderful pictures and lovely gallery!
    All the paintings are so beautiful!
    My favorite painting is the one with the harbor view!
    Thank you for sharing! Have a lovely weekend!
    Dimi...

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  5. Beautiful paintings and beautiful ceiling of the grand hall. Wonderful weekend!

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  6. ...quite a nice mix of artwork.

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  7. Hello, pretty artwork. The second painting is my favorite. The museum is a lovely building. Happy weekend to you!

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  8. Managing an art shop with traditional paintings, abstract doesn't appeal to me either. But I found Janvier's piece very interesting and appealing.

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  9. Harris, to me, is the most distinctive of the G7. I really like his work.

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  10. Tom Thomson is my favourite Canadian painter. And I would say that The Jack Pine is Canada’s most famous painting!
    : )

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  11. Mumbai escorts might just be a spam comment, you think? My favorite is the Girl in Yelow Sweater...she has such personality. The last painting is worth looking twice at...the garish colors in contrast seem subdued, and the constant motion has repetition of forms which bring my eyes back around to check again to see what is it all about.

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  12. I think the Girl in Yellow Sweater is my favorite too, but they are all beautiful!

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  13. @Maywyn: thanks!

    @Lady Fi: it really is.

    @Iris: thank you.

    @Joan: that is a beautiful part of my country.

    @Dimi: you're welcome.

    @Jan: indeed!

    @Nancy: thank you!

    @Tom: a lot of variety.

    @Francisco: thank you.

    @Eileen: it's a good one.

    @Jo: I visited the retrospective a number of times, and it was amazing. His work really speaks to me.

    @Anvilcloud: a couple of years back the actor Steve Martin, who has a couple of his paintings, curated a special exhibit of his works.

    @Catarina: either that one or his West Wind.

    @Barbara: yes, I hate it when spam comments get past the filters, but it's gone now. Heward has some paintings in the Gallery, and there's a lot of strength in her style.

    @Lois: thanks!

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  14. I've heard of the Beaver Hill Group but know little about them.

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  15. I've always liked Lawren Harris's work so much!

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  16. I really love the painting from Charles F. Comfort! Nice!

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  17. My favorite is Summer Harvest, Hanover.

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  18. I love the second photo of the Harris.

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  19. looks so pretty all lit up with the trees and lights. i enjoy the painting with the trees and the one with all the pinks and circles. i think u r calling it abstract? i can appreciate it ...but i am not really drawn to it? makes you kind of wonder what the artist was thinking when they did paint it? ( ;

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  20. A very nice gallery. Tadoussac's harbour view is my favorite.

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  21. Beautiful variety of paintings. Love the style of the Alberta lake painting and the summer harvest.

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  22. @Red: they had great talent.

    @RedPat: I love his work too.

    @Aritha: it's a good one.

    @Sharon: it stands out.

    @Marie: I do too.

    @Cloudia: indeed.

    @Beth: that's one way of looking at it.

    @Bill: I like that one too.

    @Gemma: it stands out!

    @Happyone: I like it too.

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  23. Some interesting paintings...I likeTadoussac.

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  24. Interesting paintings in various styles.
    Have a nice weekend William.

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  25. I think Janvier's abstract is my favourite in this selection William.

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  26. All wonderful historical creations and neat photos too ~ Love the 'birdseye' view of the courtyard ~


    Happy Day to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  27. A lot of different styles here - nice to see.

    All the best Jan

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  28. You are fortunate to live near this amazing gallery and I thank you for sharing its wonders with those of us who are not so lucky!

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  29. I rather like the painting of 'Girl in Yellow Sweater':)

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  30. Canada is such a wonderful art country. I suppose a lot of places are but I remember being in Quebec City and amazed at the volume of Quebec and Canadian artists. You've shared some wonderful ones here today.

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  31. I think view on the harbour picture is my favourite.

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  32. @Kay: there is.

    @Tamago: I do too.

    @Sami: thank you.

    @Grace: I love it.

    @Carol: I do too.

    @Jan: indeed.

    @Sallie: you're welcome.

    @Rosie: so do I.

    @Jeanie: thanks!

    @Klara: it's a good one.

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