Walter Hawley Yarwood 1917 - 1996

Collection of the artist
Private Collection (by descent)
Private Collection, Vancouver

Although better known as a sculptor because of his many public commissions that adorn public spaces in Ontario, Yarwood started off as a painter and was a natural choice to include when Painters Eleven was formed. He was a particularly close friend of Harold Town (who also made a number of ambitious sculptures), but their work was distinct and each explored quite different forms of expression.

This painting, done during the period when Painters Eleven was most active and a real force as a group in Canadian art, is a superb example of how strong Yarwood was as an artist. It shows how capable he could be in amassing and arranging a diverse range of forms and in choosing colours that were appropriate, rich, and dramatic. The scale of this work also demonstrates Yarwood’s ability to tackle large and complex works, whether in pigment on canvas, as he has done here, or in welded steel or cast bronze.