Importance of Thomson’s Art
![[ The Drive ]](../../images/site/355785_2.jpg "[ The Drive ]")
The Drive, Tom Thomson, 1916, Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, MSAC UG900.134, This painting depicts men 'piking' logs through a chute in a dam. "The Drive" may be an unfinished, large work of Thomson's, or he may have intentionally left significant areas of the wood he was painting on showing through. This work is an Ontario Agricultural College purchase with funds raised by students, faculty and staff, 1926
Tom Thomson is recognized across Canada as an important artist, even though he was only active as a ‘creative’ painter for about five years. While he had not sold many works by the time of his death, his reputation quickly began to grow soon thereafter.
These documents will give you an indication of how Thomson’s reputation was transformed from that of a ‘struggling artist’ to ‘national icon’ after his death. Of course, this transformation was built on the contributions of many people. Did ideas about Thomson’s death support or challenge efforts to elevate Thomson’s stature as an important artist?
Books
Chapters in Books
Journal Articles
- Barker Fairley, Tom Thomson and Others, The Rebel, March 31, 1920
- Rupert Lee, Canadian Pictures at Wembley, The Canadian Forum, August 31, 1924
- Eric Brown, Canadian art in Paris, The Canadian Forum, September 31, 1927
Miscellaneous
Newspaper or Magazine Articles
- H. Mortimer-Lamb, Studio Talk, The International Studio, September 31, 1919
- Pearl McCarthy, Art and Artists, Globe and Mail, March 15, 1937
- Percy Grant, Canada New Vision of Lakeland Glory, Evening Telegram, July 25, 1939
- Hon. Roy Atherton, The Man In A Canoe, Canadian Art, May 30, 1947
- Hugh MacLennan, The Ten Greatest Canadians, New Liberty, 1949
- Gail Dexter, Tom Thomson’s dollar-a-month shack becomes a Group of Seven shrine , Toronto Star, June 1, 1968
- Kay Kritzwizer, Thomson: myth dispelled, man emerges, Globe and Mail, November 6, 1971