Torches of Spring

Private Collection, Calgary

After participating in the early exhibitions of the Group of Seven, Frank Johnston moved to Manitoba in 1921 to become the head of the Winnipeg School of Art. This period marked an artistic divergence from the Group, as Johnston gradually adopted a more traditional style. Building on the influence of 19th century artists like Homer Watson, Johnston created romantic landscapes which explored light and pattern. In “Torches of Spring”, Johnston expertly makes use of the age-old compositional device of painting a meandering river to draw the viewer’s eye from foreground to background. Johnston excelled at capturing subtle, atmospheric effects. Rolling hills flow into the distance in delicate tones of blue and violet, and the arrival of spring is wonderfully depicted here, with mists gently rising from melting snow.