Hundreds and Thousands Read Free Page B

swirl, they do not come; enthusiasm is not worked up.
MONTREAL
    Arrived 11:50 and after lunch went straight to the Royal Canadian Academy. It was a good show. The big room (mostly Group of Seven) was very enjoyable. It was the first time I have been able to sit and take my time over the Group of Seven. I studied them separately and together. There was Jackson, Lismer, Harris, MacDonald, Carmichael and Casson represented — all except Varley.
    Harris’s “Mountain Forms” was beautiful. It occupied the centre of one wall — one great cone filled with snow and serenely rising to a sky filled with wonderful light round it in halo-like circles. Forms purplish in colour lead up to it. He gets a strip of glorious cold green in the foreground and the whole sky is sublimely serene.
    I sat and watched it for a long, long time. I wished I could sweep the rest of the wall bare. The other pictures jarred. Two fashionable women came in and called others. They laughed and scoffed. After wondering if the thing was an angel cake, they consulted the catalogue. “It is ‘Mountain Forms’.” They all laughed. How I longed to slap them! Others came and passed without giving more than a brief, withering glance. A priest came. Surely he would understand. Wouldn’t the spirituality of the thing appeal to one whose life was supposed to be given up to these things? He passed right by even though he walked twice through the room — blind, blind!
    Jackson’s “Autumn in Algoma” did not please. It was thin and unconvincing and unfinished. But his “Barns” was delightful, and his other things. “Barns” had such a swing to the earth and sky — a huddled group of old barns with a 1ock of sheep trying to shelter from the wind. Lismer had “Happy Isles,” red-brown rocks with windswept trees, and sky forms that followed the shapes of the trees too closely I thought. I did not find the canvas restful though there is lots of liveliness in it. MacDonald’s “Solemn Land” is very big and powerful and solemn. I wish he wasn’t quite so fond of broom. His design is lovely but he has not the true movement or imagination I want. His “Glowing Peaks” I like except for the brown water, but his other rocky things did not please me. An unpleasant cloud form was speared by a mountain peak. I did not like the colour. Carmichael is a
little
pretty and too soft, but pleasant. Casson I don’t care about. His work is cold, uncompromising, realistic. His “Dawn” gave me no pleasure.
    I wish I could paint as well as any one of these men. In criticizing them I am only trying to see further. Their aim is so big it makes the rest of the stuff seem small and poor and pretty. There are a few others worth while and some fine women.
    Had a visit at the hotel from Annie Savage. She was very nice and friendly. Was glad I’d rung her up. As she teaches, she came right after 4 o’clock. I had a furious nosebleed in the morning that delayed me getting out but I spent half an hour at the gallery and went over my favourite pictures again, especially the Group work. Mr. Holgate left a message at the hotel for me and Miss Savage and I went to his studio and saw his things. I like him. He is young and enthusiastic and clever. His work is strong and full of form but a little dull and dead in colour.
    Took the 6:45 train to Ottawa. I phoned the Barbeaus and had a nice conversation with both. Mr. B. was much brighter about the exhibition. He says Brown is going to give an evening and wake things up a bit. Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg want the exhibition afterwards, but I don’t know if it will go to all three yet. I was glad to hear him more cheerful.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11 — TORONTO
    Got up about 9 o’clock and was cross and cold. I wanted something badly in the back of my mind and was nervous and uncertain. Those pictures of Lawren Harris’s, how I did long to see them again before I went West, and yet I did not like to ring up and ask. What right had I