signed, titled & dated
In 1950, the Art Gallery of Toronto and the National Gallery of Canada held a major retrospective of Arthur Lismer’s work. When Lismer attended the retrospective, he was able to survey his own work, over a hundred pieces spanning a distinguished career; he had not seen many of these paintings in decades. Lismer had already accomplished much, and had redefined his style on numerous occasions. Yet Lismer was not done. He had not yet painted Canada’s west coast. Lismer took his first trip to Long Beach, Vancouver Island, in 1951 (now part of Pacific Rim National Park). Enchanted by the scenery and the isolation, the Lismers would return each year to a small cottage on Wickaninnish Bay, near the fishing village of Ucluelet. Those that know the area comprehend the adventure involved: the trek included a long train ride, a ferry crossing, several winding roads, and a ride on a supply boat up the Alberni Inlet. It was not a trip for the faint of heart, and Lismer continued to make the journey until the age of 83, a year before his death. During these summers, late in his life, Lismer painted the mighty Pacific and the old growth forests that surrounded and inspired him; he did so with an intimacy and connection that sets these paintings apart from those of his earlier “Group” style. This body of work is integral to understanding Lismer’s complete evolution as an artist.
In his introduction to “Bright Land, A Warm Look at Arthur Lismer” (Darroch; 1981), Walter Klinkhoff elucidates the artistic development that continued through Lismer’s later period:
“While continuing to draw his inspiration from nature, Lismer moved closer to his subjects. Painting from this new, more intimate perspective made a significant stylistic difference: his work now had a definite abstract quality to it without actually being generically abstract. It is this aspect of his later work which has been misunderstood and unjustly maligned. To change one’s style and outlook late in life is an act of personal courage and imagination: the later work of Arthur Lismer deserves re-appraisal.”
