Lot 108: Albert Henry Robinson 1881 - 1956 Canadian oil on canvas Village in Winter, Quebec

Albert Henry Robinson 1881 - 1956 Canadian oil on canvas Village in Winter, Quebec
17 5/8 x 21 inches 44.8 x 53.3 centimeters signed and on verso inscribed "1659" Literature:Thomas R. Lee, Albert H. Robinson, "The Painter's Painter", 1965, unpaginated
Provenance:Ernest E. Poole, Edmonton
By descent to the present Private Collection, Vancouver Albert Robinson's exposure to French Impressionism during his time studying and sketching in Paris from 1903 to 1906 was pivotal to his development and the evolution of his light-filled colour palette. Originally from Hamilton, Ontario, Robinson moved to Montreal in 1909, through the generous sponsorship of patrons Mr. and Mrs. William L. Davis, who purchased his work, guaranteed his studio rent and introduced him to leading painters and collectors. Initially, Robinson painted Montreal subjects and integrated into the Montreal scene; he joined the Pen and Pencil Club and was an annual contributor to the Art Association of Montreal shows. He befriended Group of Seven artist A.Y. Jackson, and in 1911 they traveled to Saint-Malo and Carhaix in France. Beginning in 1920 and into the early 1930s, he made almost yearly trips along the St. Lawrence River, and the body of work he produced painting the towns and rural countryside there was truly extraordinary. He was often in the company of Jackson, and also painted with Clarence Gagnon, Randolph Hewton and Edwin Holgate. Jackson told amusing anecdotes of their time together in his autobiography, A Painter's Country, and made it clear he learned a great deal about art from Robinson. Together, these comrades in arms painted out of doors in such colourful Quebec villages as Cacouna, La Malbaie, St-Tite-des-Caps, Baie-Saint-Paul and Les Éboulements.
Robinson's landscapes were warmed by human presence; his works often showed villagers going about their business in the towns, as in this superb painting with its charming horse-drawn sleigh. Such traditional elements of Quebec life were much treasured, contributing what now seems to us a romantic, nostalgic element to the landscape. To Robinson it was simply part of the everyday joie de vivre of the towns, recorded as part of the sheer joy of creating.
Robinson was a master colourist; Group of Seven artist Arthur Lismer called him "a colourist of the first order," another indication of how greatly Robinson was admired by other artists. He had a great affection for snow scenes, and white was a dominant element, not only in the brightness of his snow, but mixed into his other colours. In this vivid painting, he used both warm and cool colours in deep pastel hues, juxtaposing a milky green sky with pink, gold, plum and ochre in the house and outbuildings. Highlights of deep blue and dark green in the background hills provide contrasts that make the rich palette around them all the more luscious. Although the scene is not in direct sunshine, Robinson's use of light-filled paint creates an even and pervasive luminosity.
Robinson was an invited contributor to Group of Seven exhibitions, starting with their first show in 1920. His work was included in the prestigious British Empire Exhibition in 1924. Early recognition came from the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Toronto, both of which acquired his work in 1926. In 1927, his paintings were included in the Canadian art exhibition at the Musée du Jeu de Paume in Paris, and one of his paintings was acquired by the French government. International exposure continued, with works exhibited at London's Tate Gallery, the New York World's Fair and Yale University.
A heart attack in 1933 essentially ended Robinson's career; he painted very little after that. Village in Winter, Quebec is a rare, prime example of his work from his most important subject matter, painted at the height of his career's maturity in the 1920s.
This work, originally acquired by Ernest E. Poole and then passed by descent in the family, has never been offered for sale before. Poole was a self-made industrialist who made his fortune by traveling west to the Prairies and starting a construction business which became the Poole Construction Company, headquartered in Edmonton. He was also an important art collector. He died in 1964, and in 1975 the Ernest E. Poole Foundation made a major donation of 90 historical Canadian art works from this collection to Edmonton's Art Gallery of Alberta.