PROVENANCE
Private Collection
Fine Jewellery and Important Canadian Art, Sotheby's Canada, October 30, 1985, lot 483
The Collection of Torben V. Kristiansen, Vancouver

A.Y. Jackson grew up in Quebec, and the landscape of the province remained a vital source of inspiration to him throughout his career. Even after he moved to Ontario, in the late winter and early spring of each year he would spend time painting in the Québécois countryside. Hill Country, Hatley, Quebec was executed outdoors in February of 1922. Like his Group of Seven colleagues, Jackson embraced the idea of sketching en plein air in all seasons.

What is striking about this work is that Jackson has made a richly varied image from a landscape that most non-painters would pass by without notice. What is equally striking is that the image contains no evidence of the town itself. For Jackson the details of the snowbound countryside—leafless deciduous trees, evergreens, the hilly landscape and a vivid blue sky—provided all the visual interest he needed. The artist closely observed the trees and placed the evergreens to enable a recession into the space. The flat silhouettes of the deciduous trees provide a convincing definition of the composition’s middle ground. At the top of the painting, trees are boldly depicted against the bright blue sky, and beyond the snowy background ridge are hints of larger hills. In Jackson’s skilled hands, this peaceful rural landscape pulses with a pleasing richness and variety.

For the biography on Torben V. Kristiansen in PDF format, please click here.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars