William Brymner

Canadian (born in United Kingdom; Scotland), 1855–1925

Portrait of a Young Girl, 1904

Pastel on paperboard

38.2 x 28 cm

Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery; Gift of Mr. Peter Dobush

G-65-73

Categories:

Painting, Canadian Historical (1800-1910)

William Brymner, in his role as teacher, administrator, and artist, was a vital influence in the development of art and taste in Canada at the turn of the twentieth century. After studying in Paris from 1878 to 1880, he returned to Canada and in 1886 took up the post of Director of the school at the Art Association of Montreal. From 1910 to 1920, Brymner served as President of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Initially drawn to the landscape painting traditions of the Barbizon and Hague schools, Brymner developed a bright, though still reserved, impressionist palette. Portrait of a Young Girl, for instance, seems to reference the brushwork and palette of Renoir through the fluid handling of form and colour.