Beaver Lake, Eganville, Ontario, 1964

Collection of the Artist Dominion Gallery, Montreal, 1965 Private Collection, Winnipeg, April 1980 Le Dessins Colart, Montreal Dominion Gallery, Montreal, April 1986 Kinsman Robinson Gallery, Toronto, May 1999 Private Collection, Toronto

A.Y. Jackson, “A Painter’s Country: The Autobiography of A.Y. Jackson”, Toronto, 1948, pages 157 and 188

The importance of A.Y. Jackson’s contribution to art in Canada can never be overstated. According to Lawren Harris, Jackson was, “the real force and inspiration that led [the Group of Seven] into a modern conception which suited this country”. In 1955 Jackson decided to leave the Studio Building in Toronto and move to Manotick, where he built a home and studio. He was seventy-three years old at the time andhad a niece living close by. As the artist recalls in his autobiography, “Before I moved to Manotick I had become familiar with the Gatineau country north of Ottawa where I had sketched with Maurice Haycocok and Ralph Burton. I had found some interesting places to paint, rocky hills rising out of the farmlands, rivers, lakes and old settlements all quite close to Ottawa. So I left the Studio Building with few regrets. I had lived there for thirty-five years and it was time to move.” Jackson spent the next chapter of his artistic career capturing the landscapes afforded to him by travelling in the Ottawa Valley area and beyond. Eganville, located in Renfrew County, is just over an hour’s drive from Ottawa, making it an ideal painting location for the artist. This iconic painting by the artist of Beaver Lake features his quintessential rich colour palette. The peace and calm of the natural environment is highlighted by the lavender tone incorporated into the warm rocks and water, creating harmony within the scene. A blue canoe in the distance, paddled by two people, hints at the presence of humankind within this serene scene of the Canadian wilderness.