Sunny Beach with Two Trees

Kastel Gallery, Montreal Private Collection, Toronto

John Lyman is a significant figure in Canadian art history, holding an important place as an artist, teacher, critic and crusader in the development of modern art in Canada during the 1930s. Having studied in Paris in 1907 at the Académie Julien, followed by the Académie Matisse in 1909, he was a champion of the attributes of the School of Paris. Upon completing his studies, Lyman returned to Montreal and sought to introduce modernism to Quebec. He was met with resistance, and as a result, departed the country for a long sojourn throughout France, Spain and North Africa. These exotic lands both inspired and allowed him full reign to employ striking Fauvist colour combinations in his compositions, as is evident in “Sunny Beach with Two Trees”. This work is a strong example of Lyman’s aesthetic interests, while the accompanying ‘study’ for “Sunny Beach” allows insight into his artistic process. Lyman’s use of colour throughout his artistic career has left an indelible impression upon the art of Canada.