Arthur Lismer

Heffel Auction House Biography and Notes

More than any other member of the Group of Seven, Arthur Lismer was drawn to the sea. His images of shoreline and the active water itself date from the early part of his career and continue to appear at intervals throughout his mature work. Perhaps his time in Halifax during the First World War had made him sympathetic to the life of the mariners and fishermen who inhabit this canvas. In any case, he returned to the Maritimes many times during his later career and produced important work as a result of visits to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. A strong sense of drawing and a vivid use of colour characterize Lismer's work, and both aspects of composition are clearly seen in this work. The precision of the boats in the foreground is contrasted with the generalized flow of the water and the rough shapes of the rocky shoreline in the background. Lismer has positioned himself, and the viewer, in an elevated position - and thus he is able to accommodate the foreshortening of the boats in the foreground. Although the figures and horses in the centre of the work are among the smallest elements in the work, Lismer has made them the focus of our attention by silhouetting them against the foaming tide and by leading the eye to them through compositional devices such as the boats in the foreground. Forcefully painted, this work suggests the raw beauty of the Newfoundland outports and demonstrates Lismer's ability to find beauty in the reality of daily life.