Acquired directly from the Artist
By descent to a Private Collection
Joyner Canadian Art, auction, Toronto, 18 May 1993, lot 9
Private Collection
In April 1914 Frank Johnston left Toronto to find work in New York and Philadelphia. As a result of health issues, the artist returned to Toronto by April 1916 and quickly reconnected with his former associates from the design firm Grip Ltd. and members of the Arts and Letters Club. He resumed his career as a commercial artist and exhibited with the Ontario Society of Artists. Johnston painted at every opportunity and ventured into the Ontario wilderness under the urging of Dr. James MacCallum, the well-known patron of the Group of Seven.
“Sombre Reflections” dates to 1916, the year that he returned to Toronto from the United States. The loose but precise interpretation of the autumn shoreline showcases the artist’s fascination with light and foreshadows his style with the Group of Seven. Johnston depicted the scene with looser brushwork in a range of green, yellow, orange and red hues used to represent the fall foliage that reflects into the dark water. “Sombre Reflections” is an idyllic setting for the artist to continue his foray into capturing light's effect on colour in the Canadian landscape.
