Aftermath
Artist
Franz Johnston
(Canadian, 1888 - 1949)
Date1930
Mediumgouache on paperboard
DimensionsOverall: 120.4 x 182.3 cm (47 3/8 x 71 3/4 in.)
Credit LineThe Mendel Art Gallery Collection at Remai Modern. Gift of the Mendel family 1965.
Object number1965.4.7
Classificationspainting
Collections
On View
On viewFranz (Frank) Johnston was one of the founding members of the Group of Seven. Like many of the other members, he worked at the commercial art firm, Grip Limited, in Toronto. The Group of Seven exhibited for the first time in May 1920, and its members were hailed as developing a truly Canadian artistic movement. Johnston’s official association with the group was brief, ending in 1924, as he felt he would grow more as an artist working independently.
Johnston was a prolific and very energetic artist. He organized many exhibitions in department stores, where his work sold very well. He was particularly drawn to northern Canadian landscapes, and he travelled throughout the country on sketching trips. Johnston’s early paintings express a strong decorative interpretation of the landscape. In later work, such as Aftermath, the artist’s style becomes increasingly more realistic, revealing a strong fascination with the qualities of light.
Johnston was a prolific and very energetic artist. He organized many exhibitions in department stores, where his work sold very well. He was particularly drawn to northern Canadian landscapes, and he travelled throughout the country on sketching trips. Johnston’s early paintings express a strong decorative interpretation of the landscape. In later work, such as Aftermath, the artist’s style becomes increasingly more realistic, revealing a strong fascination with the qualities of light.
