Art of Plein Air: Poplars by the Lake (1916) by Tom Thomson

 Spotlighting great examples of plein air art.
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Poplars by the Lake (1916)
by Tom Thomson (1877-1917). 
Oil on board, 8.4" x 10.5"
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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The year before his mysterious death, one of Canada's greatest landscape artists, Tom Thomson, found himself working the summer as a ranger in Algonquin Park, Canada. The area had become his muse, and he had been spending the spring, summer and autumn there, painting the seasons in all weathers, at all times of the day. It was in this period that he painted Poplars by the Lake, one of many oil sketches by the artist, completed en plein air. 

It has all the hallmarks of Thomson's work. The main elements of trees, sky and water, which provided endless fascination for Thomson as subject matter. There is also the signature broad brushstrokes, liberal applications of oil paint, and idiosyncratic palette of colours. The artist used many different surfaces to paint, but this work is composed on grey composite wood-pulp board. 

Thomson has expertly contrasted a muted palette with flashes of bold colour where the sunlight hits the water and the distant horizon. Note the use of pink and turquoise on the far hillside. In contrast to the vibrant energy of the marks, there is a delicate balance to the composition. The saturation of colour is skilfully controlled, so that the eye is gently coaxed through the painting, from the rocks and trees in the foreground, to the brightly lit sunlight on the far side of the lake. Then there is that typical Thomson sky, where we get a sense that things are changing fast, and that glimpse of golden light is about to be extinguished by the storm clouds looming in the distance. See how this is conveyed with so few brush marks, yet if you squint at the painting, you will see a complex array of tones. 

Each element of the painting dazzles with beauty, and it all comes together harmoniously, to give the picture an emotive charge that sings the praises of nature. Poplars by the Lake captures a transient moment, emotively rendered within a compressed time frame. It is a fantastic example of plein air art by a master of the genre. 

Alex




 


Recommended links to find out more about Tom Thomson:

What plein air art inspires you? Is there a painting you'd like to see featured? Get in touch or comment below.  

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