We are pleased to announce that a rare and important sketch by Arthur Lismer is now available for private sale. The sketch is celebrated by G. Blair Laing through its illustration in his memoir, Memoirs of an Art Dealer. The work is fresh to the market, having remained with one family for decades. In the foreground, Lismer studies the patterns of trees and the forest floor with energetic brushwork, while in the distance the scene opens toward water and sky where light breaks across the lake in vivid colour.

Arthur Lismer’s 1927 trip to the north shore of Lake Superior sits within one of the most important phases of the Group of Seven’s exploration of that landscape. By that point the area around Port Coldwell had become a seasonal pilgrimage for the Group. Lismer’s visit marked his first serious sketching campaign there, joining painters who had already been returning annually to work along the dramatic shoreline.