The Edge of the Maple Wood 1910

A. Y. Jackson's "The Edge of the Maple Wood" is like a moment caught in time with thick strokes of muted browns and blues and the stark shadows of trees against a late winter ground. I can almost feel the crisp Canadian air on my face and imagine Jackson standing there, trying to capture the ruggedness of the landscape with these raw, expressive marks. Look at how the paint is applied! There's a real sense of physicality, like he's wrestling with the scene, trying to pin down something fleeting and essential. The shadows are long and the paint handling evokes artists such as Van Gogh or Cezanne, or even his contemporaries in the Group of Seven. This is the kind of painting that reminds you that art is always a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas and energy across time. And it’s a conversation that we are now a part of.