A traditional landscape painting with a nod to impressionist experimentation in technique and emphasis on light is in keeping with Manly MacDonald’s artistic oeuvre and his affinity for depicting horses at work. To paint a team of horses, MacDonald set up an easel on the side of the farmer’s field and sketched them passing back and forth. He did not work from photographs, as he believed it resulted in static poses. MacDonald’s love of horses and knowledge of farm animals enabled him to excel at painting their form in fluid motion. As he watched the horses return to pass by his chosen position, the artist would add details until he felt he had captured the essence of the horses and the scene. In “Hauling Logs, Northumberland Hills”, MacDonald’s impressionistic style and playful use of colour bring the picture to life. The active brushstrokes create movement and we hear the wind as it rustles the leaves and the jangle of the horses’ bridle as they pull the sleigh ahead through the snow.
