Lot 44
FRANK HANS JOHNSTON, O.S.A., A.R.C.A.
Additional Images
Provenance:
Private Collection, Waterloo
Literature:
Roger Burford Mason, A Grand Eye for Glory: A Life of Franz Johnston, Dundurn Press, Toronto, 1998.
Note:
Known as a jovial, humorous man who loved to explore the Ontario wilderness, wrote poetry and fairy tales for his children and enjoyed going to the cinema, Franz Johnston (1888-1949) defied convention, even as he worked within the boundaries of conventional commercial art. The art critic Augustus Bridle, in a 1942 exhibition review, opined that “Franz has a grand eye for glory. He seldom paints anything because it’s grim or ugly”. Certainly the painting Parry Sound Country is a prime example of this delight in the colourful beauty of Canada.