While browsing in the McMichael Gallery gift shop during a summer visit I came upon a beautifully illustrated book about the life and artistic career of Canadian painter David Milne. It was a companion for exhibitions of his work in Great Britain and the McMichael a few years ago and happily it was on sale for a fraction of its original price.
I've admired Milne's paintings for a long time and we took in the McMichael exhibition in early 2019. When we visit the Art Gallery of Ontario I seek out the section with his paintings as well. Milne had a unique and identifiable style whether he was depicting the horrors of WW1 as a war artist, or during his time in New York City, or capturing the Canadian landscape in various locations. He was also a thoughtful writer who offered profound insights from his interior world and the world he observed in different settings.
Wrecked Tanks Near Sanctuary Wood -- David Milne
One of the chapters of the book is 'The Mystery Thing': David Milne and Spirituality. It begins with describing his early life with a mother who loved being outside in the garden and instilled this in her children. She was also a devout Christian, and the family was Presbyterian until the merger of denominations which became the United Church.
Milne grew up hearing and reading scripture and he committed large portions of the bible to memory. While in his adult life he wasn't conventionally religious -- there wasn't a lot about him that was conventional -- the editors of the book offer that "he saw his life journey through a biblical lens and quoted passages in interviews, conversations and letters". They go on to say:
As I read this chapter I realized that my decades-long appreciation of Milne was expanding. My art history background, deep conviction that God is revealed in the two books of Scripture and Creation, as well as my Christ-focussed life, resonated with Milne's sensibilites regarding his vocation as a painter. Hey, he even spent lots of time in a tent!
I appreciate that Ruth didn't roll her eyes as I pondered purchasing the book and even encouraged me to go ahead. I've found these insights about David Milne's motivation quite moving.
David Milne, Tent in Temagami, 1929, Collection of the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound, Ontario, bequest from the Douglas M. Duncan Collection, 1970. © The Estate of David Milne
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