Alexander Young Jackson 1882 - 1974

Merrill Denison, Bon Echo, Ontario

Sotheby's, Toronto, May, 1981, lot 101 as Winter, Bon Echo

Private Collection, Quebec City

Art Gallery of Toronto, Group of Seven Exhibition, January 1925, no. 28 as "Winter Moonlight"

Royal Canadian Academy, Montreal, 1925, no. 114 as "Winter Night"

A.Y. Jackson, A Painter's Country, The Autobiography of A.Y. Jackson, Toronto, 1958, p. 62

This painting is in very good condition overall. It has been relined and there is evidence of touch-ups throughout the sky when examined under UV. We would like to thank In Restauro for their assistance with this condition report. To see their original notes, please contact Sotheby's directly.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

An inscription on this canvas, prior to relining, was Winter, Bon Echo. Located just south of Algonquin Park, Bon Echo was an artistic oasis created by the Denison family in the early 1920s. Theatre, music and the visual arts were encouraged there, and Jackson and other members of the Group of Seven visited frequently. Indeed, Bon Echo's rock was a 'must' for many artists due to its impressive height, a sheer granite bluff topping over a hundred metres.

In a letter from Jackson to J.E.H. MacDonald in January, 1924, he wrote, "Leave here 24th January to go to Bon Echo. Expect to find myself in a very exclusive literary circle with Merrill Denison and Arthur Heming."

This winter nocturne is rare in Jackson's work, but clearly he was intrigued by the bluff of rock here, and has made it into a remarkably good painting. He has caught the pervasive tone of calm and low light accurately and poetically, perhaps influenced by the memory of the nocturnes that Tom Thomson had done.