Woman Of The Crowd

Leaving the exhibit in yesterday's post, I headed down another level to the next area, photographing a view of the gallery's lobby area from here.

Part of this level was given over to a temporary exhibit. Molly Lamb Bobak: A Woman Of The Crowd looks at the artist, commissioned as a war artist for the Second World War. Works here date from that period and beyond. 

She was part of the Canadian Women's Army Corps during the war, which led to her posting as a war artist. That informs her subjects as an artist during this period. Ruins Of Emmerich, Germany is a 1945 painting that depicts the ruined landscape of a German community in the aftermath of war. Bobak was given a driver and freedom to travel where she wished through this period, depicting scenes that a male war artist might have overlooked.

German Children In Bremen, Germany is another of her works from this period.

Her CWAC experience would come back time and time again. This portrait is Private Roy, Canadian Women's Army Corps, painted in 1946. It depicts Eva May Roy, one of her colleagues and friends in the CWAC. Bobak said of her, "she was a warm, wonderful person full of compassion and understanding of life. Whenever I think about her I remember an engaging laugh and the best hugs."

Canteen, Nijmegen, Netherlands, is a 1945 painting depicting a break in the military routine.

CWACs On Leave In Amsterdam, September is a 1945 painting by Bobak depicting her colleagues taking time off in the Dutch city, coming back to life after years of occupation.

Here we have a photograph of the artist at work.

W110278: The Personal War Records Of Private Lamb, M is the title of this 1944 watercolour, showing the opening night of the Canadian Army Art Exhibition. 

This quote on the wall interested me. Bobak was known throughout her career for paintings of flowers and crowds.

Williams Lake, B.C. is a 1958 oil painting depicting the town.

November 11th is a 1971 painting by Bobak showing a Remembrance Day procession.

And I finish with this one. Bobak painted this in 1973. Lester B. Pearson's Funeral shows the departure of the late prime minister from Parliament Hill.