- 143
Arthur Lismer 1885 - 1969
Description
- Arthur Lismer
- Mountain Stream, BC
- indistinctly signed lower right; titled on the reverse
- oil on canvas board
- 45.5 by 35.4 cm.
- 18 by 14 in.
Provenance
Kastel Gallery, Montreal
Private Collection, Quebec City
Catalogue Note
In 1951, Arthur Lismer holidayed on Vancouver Island and visited the surrounding Pender and Galiano Islands. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in his artistic progression and he returned to this area for sixteen summers. By this time, Lismer was at the height of his career having been given a retrospective exhibition that was shown at the Art Gallery of Toronto and at the National Gallery in Ottawa in 1950, but he was far from ending his artistic evolution. The paintings from this period clearly show his maturity and confidence. In this work dated circa 1965, Lismer chose to depict this British Columbian stream in varied blue hues, complemented by a loose and robust handling of the paint. The textural quality of the painting, most visible in the running water, creates a sense of urgency and excitement.