David Milne (1882 – 1953)has been one of my favourite Canadian painters for years so we had to take in the current exhibit of his work at the McMichael Gallery. His career overlapped the period of the Group of Seven but he was more of a loner than a collaborator. Milne began working in New York City before taking to the wilds of the Empire State where he lived a meagre existence. He was in the army of the British Empire in World War I and while he was sent overseas too late to see action his legacy is the paintings of the shattered French countryside (below) he created after the Armistice. Eventually he spent time in the Temagami region and around Six Mile Lake, both areas I have paddled.
In several of the blurbs alongside his work at the McMichael he is described as seeking "deeper solitude," an interesting term. Did he use it, or has this been ascribed to him? It seems fitting somehow, and creates the image of an ascetic, an intentional hermit. Did Milne need to heal from the shocking images of war he witnessed, even though he hadn't been involved in combat? Was he like many of us, realizing that silence and solitude are necessary for creativity and spiritual renewal? There is no sense that he was a religious man yet these sensibilities are common to the contemplative life.
There seems to be no point in asking whether any of you have seen the exhibition since the silence, in terms of comments, has been deafening of late. I encourage you to make the trip to what is likely the most beautiful setting for a Canadian gallery anywhere in the country between now and mid-January.
The Alander cabin on Christmas day 1920
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