The mystery surrounding the death of Tom Thomson has often overshadowed the work of this influential Canadian landscape artist — considered an inspiration for the Group of Seven. He died a tragic death in 1917 at the age of 39, having disappeared while canoeing in Ontario’s Algonquin Park.
But a new exhibition at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery seeks to draw attention away from Thomson’s death and toward his artistic prowess.
“There’s a lot of lore built up around Thomson, and we had come to the conclusion that [that] kind of obscures us from really looking at the paintings,” said Sarah Milroy, the executive director and chief curator of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, which is behind the touring exhibit, Tom Thomson: North Star.
“The real mystery, you know, as we see it, is how someone with no artistic schooling, or exposure to European or American modern painting, could become such an extraordinarily innovative painter in such a short period of time, going from being a commercial illustrator to creating some of the most, you know, extraordinary pictures in the Canadian canon.”
Sarah Milroy, executive director and chief curator of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, said the exhibition seeks to draw attention away from Thomson’s mysterious death and focus on his incredible work. (Hannah Rudderham/CBC)
The Fredericton stop for the exhibition, which runs from Nov. 15 until March 23, is the only Atlantic Canadian showing.
Ray Cronin, the director of curatorial programs and the Canadian art curator at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, said the rarity of having an exhibition like this in the Maritimes could be compared to Taylor Swift playing a show at the Fredericton Playhouse.
WATCH | See Thomson’s works at the Beaverbrook:
“Fredericton is the only place in all of Atlantic Canada that will see this show, and the chances of another one like it happening in the next 30, 40 years are next to zero,” he said.
Cronin said getting everything ready has been a full-time job for the last 11 months.
Dealing with an exhibition as complex, valuable and rare as this one isn’t easy, especially when it comes to logistics.
Ray Cronin, curator of Canadian art at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, stands in front of Woodland Waterfall, one of his favourites by Thomson. (Hannah Rudderham/CBC)
Even though many of the small paintings could have fit in one art transport truck, he said, “imagine if there had been a mudslide and then all of a sudden, the entire legacy of Tom Thomson is gone, right?”
So the shipments were split and staggered, and high security was needed throughout the process, including increased security at the Beaverbrook.
Cronin said bringing the show to Fredericton is a huge investment, likely close to $400,000, which was made possible by sponsors.
He expects a lot of interest in the show because of the unique opportunity to see so many of Thomson’s works in one place.
Thomson’s Water Flowers, left, Marguerites, Wood Lilies, and Vetch, middle, and Wildflowers, right, hang at the Beaverbook Art Gallery. All three pieces are from 1915. (Hannah Rudderham/CBC)
Thomson had a very short career, and a lot of theories have circulated over the decades about what could happened to such an avid canoeist.
And while the exhibition seeks to focus less on this speculation, Cronin said it isn’t a bad thing if that’s what gets people to the gallery.
More than 120 Tom Thomson paintings are included in the exhibition. (Michael Heenan/CBC)
“If that’s the impetus of what makes them want to come … I hope what makes them stay is looking at what an amazing painter he was.”
Milroy and Cronin both said that without Thomson’s death, the Group of Seven likely wouldn’t have existed.
Many of the senior members of the group helped teach Thomson, said Cronin, and he responded incredibly to that. So when he died, Cronin said those members banded together, in large part, to ensure Thomson’s legacy lived on.
“In many ways, the Group of Seven is a monument to Tom Thompson,” said Cronin.
“This room is the Ground Zero for Canadian art.”