as I walk Toronto

One of the exhibits now on at the Art Gallery of Ontario features the work of two Impressionist painters. One is Helen McNicoll who born in Toronto in 1879 but raised in Montreal. When she was two years old she contacted scarlet fever which left her deaf. After a few years of art studies in both England and Montreal, she moved to Europe in 1908. She was elected to the Royal Society of British Artists in 1913 and was created an Associate of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1914. In 1915 she died. Over her short career she contributed over 70 works to exhibitions in both Canada and Britain.

below: “The Open Door” about 1913, by Helen McNicoll.  The words beside the painting end with this sentence: “(The) title asks us what it means to stand next to an open door and not walk out.”  Also, note that there is no reflection in the mirror.

below:“In the Shadow of a Tree” by Helen McNicoll.

In this exhibit, McNicoll’s work is shown along side some of Mary Cassatt’s paintings. Cassatt (1844-1926).  Both artists were women and both painted in an Impressionist style.  Cassatt was at least a generation older as she was showing her paintings in Europe a few years before McNicoll was born.

below: “The Cup of Tea” by Mary Cassatt, about 1880 to 1881.   This painting was shown in the Sixth Impressionist Exhibition in Paris in 1881.  It is a portrait of Cassatt’s sister Lydia as she partakes in a Parisian afternoon tea with white gloves and pink finery.  The pink of the dress is reflected in the shiny fabric of the purple chair.  (note: between 1874 and 1886 there were 8 exhibits featuring Impressionist paintings.  Cassatt had paintings in many of these exhibitions.)

below: “Montreal in a Snowstorm” by Helen McNicoll.  Although McNicoll spent most of her adult life in Europe, she returned home to visit her family in Montreal frequently.

This exhibit is on until 4th Sept 2023.