Sunset, Lake Simcoe 1919

Editor: J.E.H. MacDonald's "Sunset, Lake Simcoe," painted in 1919, feels heavy and peaceful at the same time. I see the broad brushstrokes layering shades of blues and purples in the sky, mirrored in the water below. What symbolic weight might this particular landscape, this sunset, carry? Curator: The sunset is such a common image that we almost take its power for granted. MacDonald captures the close of day, that liminal space. But more than that, what shapes might you recognize in those clouds? How do they contrast with the small boat sitting below? Editor: Hmm… Now that you mention it, some of the clouds almost look like a protective layer over the horizon. The tiny boat really emphasizes how immense nature is and how small humans are. Curator: Precisely. MacDonald was deeply interested in the relationship between humanity and the Canadian landscape, and especially how that related to identity. Consider the prevalence of this image across eras; a landscape always communicates belonging and the eternal quality of nature itself. Notice also how the strokes are rapidly laid down, not refined. MacDonald isn't after photo-realism; instead he evokes feeling. How does this inform how you see it? Editor: It shows that nature isn't about control or domination, which relates to Canadian identity back then, right? The rough technique lets the viewer feel the ephemerality of the moment, which emphasizes our mortality. Curator: Exactly. It speaks to our need to connect with the sublime, something bigger than ourselves. Sunset imagery can signal longing or even quiet resignation. It’s a loaded image. Editor: I guess I hadn't realized how much symbolic freight a seemingly simple painting could carry! It makes you think about all the sunsets, sunrises and moons we see in art history, from Caspar David Friedrich to Georgia O'Keefe. Curator: Indeed, it becomes like an old story, constantly retold. Recognizing such connections opens up the whole world of visual culture.