Alfred Joseph Casson 1898 - 1992

Roberts Gallery, Toronto

Art Mode Gallery, Ottawa

Sotheby's, Toronto, June, 1998, lot 100

Private Collection, Toronto

Peter Mellen, The Group of Seven, Toronto, 1970, p. 158

This work is in excellent condition with no apparent issues under UV.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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Casson has depicted this northern boundary of Lake Huron with an air of grandeur.  It was a region that offered him unlimited vistas for both intimate and expansive images of the rugged landscape.

In an article written in the Mail and Empire of May 8, 1926, a reporter wrote on the addition of Casson, a new member of the Group of Seven:

The newcomer to the Group of Seven does not experiment with modernism. He is a fine colourist with a feeling for the Canadian landscape. To those who know and love the scenery of civilized Ontario, Casson speaks with eloquence. His canvases will form resting places for those visitors to the present show who cannot understand Lawren Harris and who feel nervous irritation when they look upon things they do not understand.

Casson, being so much younger than other members of the Group, belongs to the second generation of artists who were working in the Group style. Throughout his long career, he remained sincere in his approach and his art was characterized by an immaculate sense of design, as is evident in this powerful canvas.

In the foreground, domed Precambrian rocks are dotted with trees that stand as sentinels against the calm, broad expanse of the blue water. This austere, rugged scene is a robust expression of the Canadian shield in Ontario's north.