Thoreau MacDonald, 1901 – 1989
Canadian artist Thoreau MacDonald was the only son of Group of Seven member J.E.H. MacDonald and was born near Toronto, where he was to spend most of his life.
As a counterpoint to ‘Winter Morning’ with its clear bright light and promise of farm chores, is ‘Winter Evening’. When snow descends on the land, the pace slows and an audible hush envelops everything. The light becomes muted, shadows disappear, strong forms are silhouetted and the sky and ground merge as one. Thoreau reminds us of the joy of deep winter, with children at play on a homespun skating rink, taking advantage of every minute of light before dinner and darkness. As the light begins to fade and the buildings are rendered in dark shadow, there remains a luminous quality to the snow against which every object, human or man-made, is silhouetted.