August 2, 2002 Happy Birthday Tom Thomson

Tom Thomson (1877-1917) —"Canada’s best known artist and in many ways THE best"— would be surprised at the adulation he is receiving today for his paintings. He was a very ordinary, unattached, commercial artist who had a genius for painting the land of Northern Ontario. Although much is not made of it, I believe a lot of his success comes from the years of work he spent learning to conceive, draw, design and paint every day as a commercial artist. 

He painted what he saw in the north, primarily in Algonquin Park, leaving about 400 sketches the size of a sheet of 81/2 X 11 paper, most of them unsigned. He did about 20 larger paintings—usually based on sketches made in the wilds— in Toronto four months of the year, after eight months on the road (or water) painting, working as an unofficial guide, fire ranger or whatever was at hand to make money to buy his paints and take care of his simple needs. 

\He painted productively for only about five years between 1912 and 1917 until he drowned in Algonquin Park, three weeks before his fortieth birthday. He did receive some recognition prior to his death, with one of his paintings being purchased by the provincial government and three by the National Gallery.

There are few people whose birthday is cause for major celebration as that of Thomson, whose 125^th birthday will be next Monday August 5^th. Many of the Thomson events happening this summer are celebrating his painting, but his birthday is getting special treatment. In Owen Sound, near where he grew up in the community of Leith the Tom Thomson Memorial Gallery, which has the third largest collection of his work, will have a week of special events (www.tomthomson.org)

The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa has the best show of Thomson’s work in thirty years, from June the 7^th to September 8^th, and will move to other locations across Canada (see www.national.gallery.ca). A powerful poster for the exhibition shows his painting "Pine Island," the trees blowing fiercely in the wind, with a hiker looking on, complete with backpack and walking stick leaning in the direction of the wind and holding his hat. The caption says "BE SWEPT AWAY BY TOM THOMSON"

Sarah Milroy in the Globe and Mail writes about his small paintings "that blow you down from twenty paces, dominating the gallery with their fierce energy and startling luminosity." Many others find his small paintings similarly stunning, and they sell at prices that only an institution or a rich individual can afford. Fortunately many of his pieces have been reproduced in the numerous books written about him and elsewhere for the public to share.

Cover of the new book on Tom Thomson, which serves as the catalogue for the new major exhibition of his work.

I recently saw the definitive book on Thomson. It is the catalogue for the show in Ottawa and makes a beautiful coffee table book. They also have a 2003 Calendar with twelve of his best known paintings (Firefly Books). A new (64 page) book by David Silcox Tom Thomson: An Introduction to his Life and Art (also by Firefly) is hot off the press. Silcox, along with Harold Town (1924-1990) wrote the previous best book on Thomson, The Silence and the Storm, for his 100^th birthday in 1977. It has 177 paintings in full colour, many in the original size. The new book has 140 colour and 100 black and white plates. On the question of his mysterious death by drowning, well-known author Roy MacGregor has recently re-published a 1980 novel now called Canoe Lake. For a factual approach to the mystery try Bernard Shaw’s Canoe Lake: Tom Thomson and Other Mysteries (1996). 

The South River Festival of the Arts will feature several Thomson events this year. They have a Tom Thomson gallery during the show and will have a second juried exhibition of works influenced by Tom Thomson, with an award for the winner. A three day paddle workshop will take participants on a trail used by Thomson when he traveled into the park to visit South River Park Ranger Tom Wattie, and paint his way across the north side of the park. Joan Murray, "Canada’s leading authority on the life and work of Tom Thomson"— who made a major contribution to the large books mentioned above—will speak on the afternoon of Saturday August 10^th from 1-3 p.m. The title of her talk, also the title of her forthcoming book, is "The Birth of Modernism: Post Impressionism in Canadian Art, c 1900-1920." Call (705) 386-2935 for tickets. For information on the festival in general call (705) 386-1956 or logon to www.southriverarts.com.

Log cabin at Achray where Tom Thomson lived in 1916, now a new mini museum describing the many works he completed there. (APMA #1132).

In a future article I will write further about Tom Thomson’s connection with South River and the north part of the park along the CNR Algonquin route. I will mention one exciting addition to the list of Thomson places to see: he was a Fire Ranger at Achray, a station on Grand Lake on the CNR’s Algonquin route in 1916. He painted many of his famous paintings there, including his best known work "Jack Pine." He lived in a small log cabin there and painted a sign, both of which have been restored as a mini museum with descriptive panels. Achray is now one of Algonquin Park’s official access points, with campsites readily available.

Panels from the Thomson mini museum at Achray. (The Friends of Algonquin Park.)

For further information on the vast topic of Tom Thomson’s life and works take a look at some of the events listed above as well as others. His paintings are his legacy and inspired the Group of Seven and the development of the unique history of Canadian art.