Francis Hans (Frank/Franz) Johnston
October on Georgian Bay
1888-1949
Oil on canvas laid on board
11 1/2 x 15 1/2 in
29.2 x 39.4 cm
Copyright Alan Klinkhoff Gallery
29.2 x 39.4 cm
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Inscriptions
signed, 'Franz Johnston' (lower left); titled, 'October on Georgian Bay' (verso, artist label)Provenance
Private collection, Halifax
With the features of the land, a hint of autumn colours, and moody, big sky, we can immediately recognize this subject as Georgian Bay in the early autumn. Such is the visual success of Franz Johnston’s October, Georgian Bay.
Georgian Bay is probably among the most frequently painted landscapes in 20th century Canadian art. It was a seeding ground for the artists who would form the Group of Seven, and was painted by countless others in the decades that followed.
Francis Hans Johnston is best known as one of the founding members of the Group of Seven, and for his paintings of the Canadian wilderness (particularly northern Ontario). In 1911, Johnston began working at the commercial design firm Grip Limited in Toronto, where he met Tom Thomson and future Group of Seven artists J.E.H. MacDonald, Arthur Lismer and Franklin Carmichael. These artists began to develop a compelling visual “language” suitable for depicting Canada's vast and vibrant wilderness.
Johnston painted in the northern Ontario region of Algoma with MacDonald, Lawren Harris and A.Y. Jackson in the fall of 1918, a trip important for its role in the formation of the Group of Seven. Georgian Bay also played a pivotal role in the development of the Group, and would remain a favourite painting place for several of its artists. One of the Group of Seven’s early supporters and financiers, Dr. James MacCallum, had a cottage on Georgian Bay, where many of the artists painted in their formative years.
From 1930-1940, Johnston ran a summer art school on Georgian Bay, and upon closing the school, he settled in Wyebridge, less than 10km from the shore.
Georgian Bay is probably among the most frequently painted landscapes in 20th century Canadian art. It was a seeding ground for the artists who would form the Group of Seven, and was painted by countless others in the decades that followed.
Francis Hans Johnston is best known as one of the founding members of the Group of Seven, and for his paintings of the Canadian wilderness (particularly northern Ontario). In 1911, Johnston began working at the commercial design firm Grip Limited in Toronto, where he met Tom Thomson and future Group of Seven artists J.E.H. MacDonald, Arthur Lismer and Franklin Carmichael. These artists began to develop a compelling visual “language” suitable for depicting Canada's vast and vibrant wilderness.
Johnston painted in the northern Ontario region of Algoma with MacDonald, Lawren Harris and A.Y. Jackson in the fall of 1918, a trip important for its role in the formation of the Group of Seven. Georgian Bay also played a pivotal role in the development of the Group, and would remain a favourite painting place for several of its artists. One of the Group of Seven’s early supporters and financiers, Dr. James MacCallum, had a cottage on Georgian Bay, where many of the artists painted in their formative years.
From 1930-1940, Johnston ran a summer art school on Georgian Bay, and upon closing the school, he settled in Wyebridge, less than 10km from the shore.
