Untitled (Boats in the Harbour) by Albert Henry Robinson

Provenance:
Private Collection, Vancouver

In 1910 the young Quebec artist Albert Henry Robinson met A.Y. Jackson, who would greatly influence his painting style. Between 1918 and 1933 the two men would take many painting trips along the St. Lawrence and in the Laurentians. Emerging towns in these areas constitute the majority of Robinson’s work, likely including this charming harbour scene. While working closely with A.Y. Jackson, the use of looser brushstrokes, emphasis on light and shadow depicted with colour and simplified forms became part of Robinson’s artistic style. In this painting, the artist has used a rich palette of various greens in the sailboats and their reflections in the water. Large, loose strokes of pastel tones fill the shoreline horizon in the background.