Albert Henry Robinson 1881 - 1956

Private Collection

Albert H. Robinson is often referred to as “the painter’s painter,” an artist who not only garnered a devoted following of discerning collectors and the respect of art historians, but also earned the veneration of many of his peers. Robinson counted a number of Canada’s greatest artists among his close friends and colleagues, including Morrice, Suzor-Côté, Cullen, Gagnon, Holgate, and A.Y. Jackson, whom he travelled with extensively on painting expeditions. He exhibited on numerous occasions with the Group of Seven, and in 1933, became a founding member of the Canadian Group of Painters.

Robinson was much admired for his ability to articulate a scene with effortless simplicity and exquisite understatement. With Evening, the artist is in full mastery of his acclaimed capabilities; creating a work which is beautifully balanced and moving in its refinement.

The palette is limited to varying tones of teal, russet and aubergine, which, though muted, are a bold choice and combination nonetheless.

The composition is brilliant; tempering the verticals and horizontals of the buildings, Robinson has included a recurring pattern of triangular shapes which add a rhythmical quality that invites the viewer’s gaze to explore the entire arrangement. The eye is drawn up and down the sloping rooftops, to the peaks of the pine-topped snowy hill in the distant background, along the branches of the trees, and finally to the little figures at the centre of the foreground.

The shadows comprise a world unto themselves; falling toward the lefthand side of the picture plane, they make indirect reference to the unseen moon rising high above in the town’s sky.

By articulating the village square with buildings on three sides facing the viewer, Robinson gives his audience the impression that they themselves are the “fourth wall” completing the little courtyard, drawing the observer in as an active participant.

One cannot be quite sure whether the convivial group in the moonlit square has gathered to welcome newly-arrived guests, or is bidding adieu to one another. Regardless of whether the merrymaking is just set to begin or is coming to a close, with his subtle and harmonious composition, Robinson has imbued the scene with a distinct sense of tranquility, poetry and joy.