Bridge over Humber River , 1916

Gift of the artist and his wife (1973) Private Collection, Ontario By descent to the current Private Collection, British Columbia

A.J. Casson: retrospective, exhibition catalogue introduction, McMaster University Art Gallery, Hamilton, November 10 - December 11, 1971

One of Casson’s earliest oils, “Bridge over Humber River” was painted in 1916, when the artist was eighteen years old. He had been receiving traditional artistic training at the Hamilton Central Technical School under John S. Gordon, and already “establishing some of his later stylistic features: his tight control of line and contour, a flattening out of forms and planes, and an interest in the contrast of dramatic values. Like the other Group of Seven members he also became increasingly aware of the decorative use of line.” One can see these developments in “Bridge over Humber River”, particularly in its flattened planes of shrubbery in the hills. Casson’s choice of similarly-toned greens and teals also foreshadow his preferred limited colour palettes of subtle shades in his mature work. The year 1916 marks Casson’s move to Toronto with his family, where he became more fully aware of developments in landscape painting and the new ideas of landscape artists, particularly those of the Algonquin School. These distinguished painters inspired the young artist to embark upon a career in landscape painting, and he quickly enrolled in evening art classes at Toronto Central Technical School. It was during these years that Casson began to make his first forays into illustrating Toronto and its environs. “Bridge over Humber River” portrays the picturesque Old Mill Bridge, which connects Old Mill Road to Catherine Street across the Humber River. A.J. Casson painted this bridge during its first year of existence, as it had been destructed and rebuilt in 1916. The previous bridge was composed of steel, but was destroyed by ice from raised water levels as the river thawed in spring. A new bridge was built the same year out of concrete and stone, and has withstood every annual thaw to date. A photocopy of a letter dated 1974 from the artist attached to the reverse of the painting reads: “Because you live so near where this sketch was made and your knowledge of the district, we thought you should have it. It was painted in the spring of 1916 and is one of the first outdoor sketches I made. How things have changed around the old bridge. With all good wishes for the Christmas Season and the New Year. - Margaret and Cass.”