Lot 93
ALFRED JOSEPH CASSON, O.S.A., P.R.C.A.
Additional Images
Provenance:
Private Collection, Toronto
Note:
Works such as Combermere from 1968 remind us of A.J. Casson’s strong Group roots. As if painting a tribute to his older mentors, Casson uses the upclose vantage point favoured by Arthur Lismer after the mid-1940s; the screen of trees, a device used by Lawren Harris, and before him Tom Thomson; and contrasting light and shade, perhaps a nod to his great friend Franklin Carmichael. Nonetheless, Combermere must not be viewed as derivative, as it is not. It employs Casson’s characteristic controlled palette with Casson’s entirely original handling of paint. The lessons learned have been put to good use.