Naturally Curious: Tom Thomson's Early Spring 1917

I have never included this painting in "Tom Thomson Was A Weatherman". The Creative Scene Investigation was completed but I felt that the clues were too subtle and tenuous to provide a convincing conclusion. I believe that the preferred solution is correct but I can be pretty gullible. The painting is included here solely because it was completed in his last spring of 1917 and I am running out of authenticated panels to discuss. Tom's friend and Algonquin Park Ranger Mark Robinson remarked in October 1956 that Tom said:

“You know, I have something unique in art that no other artist has ever attempted, I have a record of the weather for 62 days, rain or shine, or snow, dark or bright, I have a record of the day in a sketch.”

The number of known authenticated panels painted in 1917 is about fifty and this is one of them.

Early Spring
Alternate title: Early Snow, Spring 1917
Oil on wood panel 8 1/4 x 10 1/2 in. (20.9 x 26.7 cm)
Tom's paint box size

Creative Scene Investigation in this example places considerable importance on every aspect of the painting. The meteorology and science are very subtle but much may be inferred about the nature-scape. Tom painted what he witnessed! The truth and accuracy of his observations can be revealed by examining the details. Note that the alternate suggested title " Early Snow, Spring 1917" is clearly not suitable for a weather observation painted in early April when Tom arrived at Mowat Lodge.

David Thompson described as the
"greatest practical land geographer
that the world has produced".
Thompson was well respected
by all. His story makes for
wonderful reading.

Location is important. The northern shores of Canoe Lake was renowned for the large stands of white paper birch. More important were the cedars to be found on the shoreline and which Tom also painted. The birch trees and cedars provided the essential building materials for canoes. In 1837, surveyor Alexander Murray built a canoe on the shore and named the water "Canoe Lake". Fur trader, surveyor, and cartographer David Thompson (1770-1857) known to some native people as "Koo-Koo-Sint" or "the Stargazer" would build canoes nearby and also call the water "Canoe Lake". Murray's name has been retained for the northern body of water and Thompson's lake, immediately to the south, has been renamed "South Tea Lake".

The snow was still deep even on the exposed, south-facing slopes of Canoe Lake. The waterways were quite likely still choked with ice and Tom was staying at Mowat Lodge. My guess is that Tom did not travel far to make this particular observation. Note that the hues in the composition are not skewed to either those of sunrise or sunset. Also, remark that the shadows that snake up the slop are quite long, so this was not painted at solar noon.

As an aside, that snow mentioned in the alternate title, was not likely to melt on the dry, sunny and mild day. The science of this observation may be found in "Tom Thomson's "Path Behind Mowat Lodge" 1917" but the key graphic is also included below.

Now back to the paint in question ...there are essentially three clues to consider:

the orientation of the elongated birch tree shadows;
the orientation of the distant ice-lined shore perpendicular to Tom's direction of view; and
the band of grey cloud stroked in between the birch branches.

If this was mid-morning, the following graphic summarizes the application of Creative Scene Investigation. Let's call this Option 1.

If this was mid-afternoon, another graphic for Option 2 is required to shed some light on the possible options.

Both of the above options can satisfy the geographical constraints summarized on the following map of the north end of Canoe Lake.

From a meteorological perspective, one option is better than the other. The orientation of the cloud bands for Option 1 follows.

The above graphic for the mid-morning Option 1 would have Tom looking at the stratiform cirrus cloud trailing south-eastward along the anticyclonic confluent asymptote of the warm conveyor belt. Tom would have been under sunny skies but could have been either north or south of the associated warm front.

The graphic below for the mid-afternoon Option 2 would have Tom looking south-eastward further along the anticyclonic confluent asymptote where there is less likely to be any cloud at all due to the subsidence associated with the ridge of high pressure. In addition, Tom would be more likely to be under the cloud of the warm conveyor belt - the probably of strong shadows as he observed would be lower.

Creative Scene Investigation favours Option 1 as the solution. The clues are subtle even minuscule or tenuous. Regardless, it was some interesting detective work.

There was no description of the back of this panel to be found. I would be very interested to see what it looked like.

Provenance:

-Estate of the artist;

-Elizabeth Thomson Harkness, Annan and Owen Sound;

-Margaret Thomson Tweedale, Toronto;

-McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg (1974.9.5). Gift of Margaret Thomson Tweedale, 1974

As with several other paintings from 1917, this one went to Tom's older sister "Lizzie", Elisabeth (Elizabeth) Harkness (abt. 1870 - 1934) and thence to her younger sister Margaret Thomson Tweedale (1884-1979). Margaret was the ninth of ten children born to John and Margaret Thomson. She was a teacher for 15 years before marrying William Tweedale.

Margaret remained fiercely protective of her brother’s reputation. The creative siblings were brought even closer after his death. The oldest son George (abt. 1868 - 1965) started spring and fall painting expeditions which Margaret joined in on. She preferred to paint landscapes and "she created a small body of charming works". Margaret gifted this painting to the McMichael five years before she passed at the age of 95 years young.