The Golden Pool

Private Collection, King City, Ontario Private Collection, Vancouver Heffel, auction, Toronto, 27 January 2011, lot 139 Private Collection Heffel, auction, Toronto, 29 November 2012, lot 215 Private Collection, Toronto

Roger Burford Mason, “A Grand Eye For Glory: A Life of Franz Johnston”, Toronto, 1998, page 40

Frank Hans Johnston became one of the most sought-after lyrical painters, as his skill in rendering the quality of light and shadow on snow is unsurpassed. Johnston’s treatment of the Canadian landscape in a decorative style set him apart among Canadian artists. In a review of his first independent exhibition in 1920, "The Globe and Mail" commended his approach, remarking, “Mr. Johnston leans strongly to the decorative treatment of his subject, and with it he infuses much poetry and imagination.” Johnston exemplifies this approach in "The Golden Pool", expertly capturing the warm glow of sunlight off a pool of water in the centre of a wintery forest. Johnston achieves a remarkably realistic depiction of light in this winter scene, creating a strong atmospheric feeling.