Spring Sunshine

In 1926, when he joined the Group of Seven, Alfred J. Casson was known for his depictions of the rural landscapes of southern Ontario, which he sensed were fast disappearing. He chose moments to paint based on the interplay of light and shadow that enhanced the subject’s effect. In Spring Sunshine, the scale of the large elms in the foreground sets up a connection with those of the village distinguishable in the distance. They and their shadows lend the composition dimension and breadth, while the highly varied range of tones, the greens in particular, modulate the landscape and attest to the artist’s work with light.