Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

N.T. (BARN)

Date Range From

1936

Date Range To

1975

Materials

WOOD, OIL, METAL

No. Pieces

1

Height

36

Length

46.2

Width

6.4

Description

PAINTED WOOD PANEL WITH FRAME. SCENE RENDERED USING OIL PAINTS DEPICTS BARN WITH FENCE NEXT TO ROAD, TREES, HILLS AND SKY. WOOD FRAME IS PAINTED WITH BEIGE, WHITE AND GOLD PAINT. PANEL IS UNFINISHED ON REVERSE WITH HANDWRITTEN INSCRIPTION THAT READS, “TO MY FRIEND P.J.COLLINS, IN APPRECIATION OF OUR ENJOYABLE SKETCHING TRIPS, P.H.HENSON.” PANEL ALSO HAS THREE HANDWRITTEN NUMBERS SCRATCHED OUT AND A FOURTH THAT READS, “#14” IN PERMANENT MARKER. UPPER EDGE OF FRAME ON REVERSE HAS WRITTEN, “4X10.” HANGING METHOD USES WIRE AND EYEHOOK SCREWS. PANEL RESTS IN GROOVE OF FRAME SECURED WITH FOUR NAILS.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

PERCY HENRY EDGAR HENSON (1891 - 1975) WAS A LIFE MEMBER OF THE ALBERTA SOCIETY OF ARTISTS WHO HAD GREAT INVOLVEMENT WITH THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB. IN 1951, HE HELPED ORGANIZE A "CABIN CAMP" NEAR LUNDBRECK FALLS. BESIDES THIS PROGRAMMING WITHIN LETHBRIDGE, HE WAS ALSO HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH PAINTING. WHEN A.Y.JACKSON, A MEMBER OF THE FAMOUS CANADIAN GROUP OF SEVEN WOULD COME AND VISIT IN LETHBRIDGE, HENSON WAS ONE OF THE FEW MEMBERS WHO WOULD GO AND PAINT WITH HIM. THIS INFLUENCE CAN BE SEEN WITHIN THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB’S WORKS DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. A GROUP OF ARTISTS, ALONG WITH JACKSON, WOULD GO ON SPONTANEOUS SKETCHING TRIPS. HENSON WOULD ALSO GIVE DRAWING LESSONS IN 1949 TO LOCALS IN LETHBRIDGE. HENSON WORKED IN EDMONTON FOR A LARGE PORTION OF HIS LIFE, AS HE WAS DIRECTOR OF SECORD HOUSE (EDMONTON ART GALLERY/ART GALLERY OF ALBERTA) FROM 1952-1962. AT THE TIME OF DONATION, THE PAINTING WAS IN THE POSSESSION OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB. OVER THE YEARS, ARTIST, FAMILY MEMBERS AND PATRONS HAVE DONATED PREVIOUSLY ACQUIRED WORKS BACK TO THE CLUB’S COLLECTION. THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB HELD THEIR FIRST MEETING AT THE HOME OF MISS ANNA MACKENZIE ON OCTOBER 7, 1936. EDITH FANNY KIRK WAS THE FIRST ART TEACHER IN LETHBRIDGE. SHE CAME FROM BRITAIN WITH CLASSICAL TRAINING AND IT WAS KIRK WHO SET THE STAGE FOR THE SKETCH CLUB TO COME INTO BEING. THE BANFF SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS ALSO PLAYED A ROLE IN THE FORMATION BY PROVIDING RECOGNITION OF ARTISTIC MERIT THROUGH DISTRICT SCHOLARSHIPS. ANNA MACKENZIE AND P.J. COLLINS CONCEIVED OF THE CLUB AFTER THEIR EXPERIENCE IN BANFF. THE GROUP WAS FORMED OUT OF AN ENTHUSIASTIC INTEREST IN ART AND SOON AFTER THE GROUP BEGAN MEETING, THERE WERE REGULAR EXHIBITIONS. THE GROUP WAS PRIVY TO THE ATTENTION OF GROUP OF SEVEN ARTIST A.Y.JACKSON WHEN HE MADE HIS FREQUENT SKETCHING TRIPS TO SOUTHERN ALBERTA. HE REGULARLY ACCOMPANIED THE SKETCH CLUB AND HIS INFLUENCE CAN BE SEEN IN MUCH OF THEIR WORK. ANOTHER GUEST OF THE GROUP WAS ANNORA BROWN WHO WAS AN ARTIST WHO HAD TRAINED IN TORONTO, BUT RESIDED IN FORT MACLEOD AND BEGAN SPENDING TIME WITH THE GROUP IN 1939. HER INTEREST IN FLOWER STUDIES IS SUSPECTED TO HAVE INSPIRED MANY OF THE WORKS BY CLUB MEMBERS. DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, THE GROUP ORGANIZED SUMMER CLASSES TAUGHT BY OUT OF TOWN ARTISTS SUCH AS: H.G.GLYDE, WALTER J. PHILIPS AND A.C. LEIGHTON. ACCORDING TO A HISTORY OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB WRITTEN BY JOAN STEBBINS IN JUNE, 1985, “THE PAINTINGS OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB PORTRAY FAVOURITE SKETCHING AREAS IN THE REGION – THE COULEES PROVIDED ENDLESS MATERIAL, THE RIVERBOTTOM, THE OLD R.C.M.P. BARRACKS, THE WHITNEY FARM, HENDERSON LAKE, THE FELGER HUTTERITE COLONY, THE FOOTHILLS AND WATERTON LAKE WERE OFTEN REPEATED SUBJECTS.” FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20120030003

Acquisition Date

2012-08

Collection

Museum

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