Tom Thomson Piece Displayed At Woodstock Art Gallery

Monday, 6 April 2015 06:07

Tom Thomson piece comes to Woodstock Art Gallery after almost leaving the country.

WOODSTOCK - The Woodstock Art Gallery is currently holding a Canada on Canvas exhibition and one of the featured pieces includes an original painting done by world renowned artist Tom Thomson, that almost left Canada forever. Independent Art Historian and Art Consultant Patricia Bovey can be thanked for making sure this piece of work will never leave the country. "The owner had applied to have it leave the country because he had sold it to a collector in the Untied States. We had a very finite time to raise the money to keep the painting. We worked hard, we got funding, donours came forward, and we raised what we needed just in time to keep the painting in this country."

The paining which is nearly 100 years old has been deemed a Canadian National Treasure and will remain in Woodstock for one more month. One of the reasons Bovey successfully put a stop from ever letting this specific painting leave was because of its rarity. "It is a very important work, Tom Thomson did the painting in 1916 it shows a transfer in a style from dark early panels he had been doing. This is very bright it shows his interest in international contemporary movements, he did very few major oils on canvas and this is one of them that is a bridge between two styles."

Director and Curator for the Woodstock Art Gallery Mary Reid knows she is very fortunate to have this substantial addition to the collection. "We are very excited we have the Tom Thomson painting which is called Early Snow on view at the Woodstock Art Gallery. It is part of our Canada on Canvas Exhibition which is on until May 2nd and it is one of his key pieces and we are very fortunate to have. It rarely leaves Winnipeg, it is really one of his signature works in the height of his career."

Over $1 million was needed to be raised to keep Early Snow from heading south of the border. Reid also added that along with this painting other works by the Group of Seven are also currently on display at the Woodstock Art Gallery.