FitzGerald's 'Doc Snider's House.' An Analysis written by Patricia Godsell

Doc Snider's House, was painted in 1931. The subject matter is simple, but the painting is elegant and delicately composed. Forms, line and space are balanced with great control. The colours are quiet and details are kept to a minimum. The buildings give the composition a three dimensional structure, while the positioning of the trees emphasizes the feeling of space. The trunks bend and curve towards and away from each other, creating delicate tensions and rhythms.

The meaning of the painting resides in its form, in cubic shapes, line, colour, and the relationships of one element to another. Although it is a realistic painting of a house, and garden in winter, it is not far from being an abstract composition. Through nature FitzGerald has worked towards finding the inner substance of forms.

He once wrote:

It is necessary for me to get inside the object and push it out, rather than merely building it up from the outer aspect. This requires endless search and contemplation; continuous effort and experiment, and appreciation for the endless flow of the living force which seem to pervade and flow through all natural forms, even those seem on the surface to be so ephemeral.

(do you sense the presence of John Ruskin looking over FitzGerald's shoulder?)

pp 148-149
Enjoying Canadian Painting. 1976.
Patricia Godsell,
General Publishing Co. ltd, Don Mills, On.

Lionel Lemoine FitzGerald, 1890-1956. A Unique Member of the Group of Seven

My interest in Lemoine FitzGerald was piqued when I was reading a section on him in 'A Vision of Canada - The McMichael Canadian Collection'.

First of all, FitzGerald wasn't an original member of the group. He was invited to join the group after the death of J.E.H.MacDonald. And, as if that wasn't enough, he was the only western painter in the group.



FitzGerald isn't as well known as other members of the group, because as the book explains, he was invited into the group, late in its existence. The eclectic nature of his paintings put him on the periphery of the group in style.



I have included with this blog entry, three of his paintings to illustrate the variety of his approaches to painting.



Click here to be taken to Wikipedia's article on FitzGerald.

You can also check out this article, in the Canadian Encyclopedia online.