Lot 53
FRANK HANS JOHNSTON, O.S.A., A.R.C.A.
Provenance:
Private Collection, Toronto
Literature:
The Colonist, Victoria, British Columbia, 1924. (Referred to in the Toronto Star Weekly, 11 October 1924).
Note:
In this painting, Johnston demonstrates a mastery of form and proportion - specifically in his handling of the relationship he establishes between the foreground and the background. A 1924 article from The Colonist lauds Johnston's ability to paint subjects in saturated colours that suggest mystery rather than gloom: “There is nothing brooding in any of these vivid pictures, but a fine spaciousness and a feeling of potential motion.”
This work by Frank Hans Johnston exhibits a distinctly Impressionistic quality. An array of pixellated colours, creates a screen of fiery vegetation. The sky that is revealed appears tranquil and serene, while the foreground is nothing less than spectacular.