Spring Seeding, 1944

Laing Art Galleries, Toronto Private Collection By descent to the present Private Collection, Toronto

As modern abstraction emerged as a popular style in the 1940s and 50s in Canada, Manly MacDonald asserted himself as a Traditionalist. He became the standard-bearer for a traditional approach to landscape painting, but he experimented with technique, style and mediums throughout his lifetime. A “plein air” painter, MacDonald was known for his pastoral work, painting animals and people at work on farms across Ontario. MacDonald’s understanding of the equestrian form can be traced back to his time spent farming with his father as a boy as well as to his intense formal training as a painter. In “Spring Seeding”, 1944, Manly illustrates the working cycles of farm life. Sowing seeds in the spring represents a fresh beginning for life on the farm. The three beautifully drawn horses strain against the fresh tilled farm soil, pulling the farmer’s cart across the field. The light blues and browns express the feel of early spring in Canada, and the expectation of growth and warmth as the seasons move forward.