Autumn Leaves
24.5 x 28.12 x 2.5 in (62.2 x 71.4 x 6.4 cm) including frame
Holgate is highly regarded for both modernist figural and landscape works. After moving to Morin Heights in the Laurentian region of Quebec in 1946, the artist naturally gravitated more firmly toward the breathtaking nature that surrounded him. Autumn Leaves dates to 1955, a time when Holgate was breaking off all contact with the Montreal art scene in order to embrace an isolated life in the country. Dennis Reid writes that “years of solitary communion with the familiar country around his home brought him to a point of easy intimacy with his subject.” In Autumn Leaves, the warm light of an autumn day permeates the canvas, accentuating Holgate's bold and evenly-toned use of colour in the foliage. The artist was particularly interested in the periods of rapid change of the Canadian landscape between seasons, such as melting snow or the autumn foliage. Holgate illustrates this phenomenon in Autumn Leaves, demonstrated in the simultaneous presence of bare branches, bright red maple trees, and leaves that are still green. Reid describes the artist's Laurentian works as “among the most sensual of his works, they reveal across every inch of their surfaces the long hours of concentration that have brought to them the gentle glow of life.”
Dennis Reid, Edwin H. Holgate, The National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 1976, page 22
Edwin Holgate
1892 - 1977 RCA, CGP, Beaver Hall Group, Group of Seven
Edwin Holgate was a Canadian painter, printmaker, and engraver known for his portraits, nudes, and landscape paintings. Born in Allandale, Ontario, on August 19, 1892, he moved to Montreal during his youth. He began his formal art training at the Art Association of Montreal, where he studied under William Brymner from 1905 to 1912. Seeking further international experience, Holgate moved to Paris in 1912. He enrolled at the Académie Colarossi, where he refined his technical skills in drawing and painting before returning to Canada at the onset of the First World War.
Upon his return to Montreal in the 1920s, Holgate became an integral figure in the local art scene. He was a founding member of the Beaver Hall Group in 1920, an organization that sought to promote a modern approach to Canadian art. During this decade, he traveled extensively, including trips to British Columbia in 1926 and 1927. These travels resulted in a series of works depicting the Gitksan people, documenting the cultural landscapes and figures with an emphasis on structure and form.
In 1930, Holgate was invited to join the Group of Seven, becoming the only member based in Quebec. Throughout the 1930s, he balanced his studio practice with a teaching position at the Art Association of Montreal School of Art, where he served as an instructor until 1940. During the Second World War, Holgate served as an official war artist for the Royal Canadian Air Force. His wartime output included portraits and documentation of military life and activities.
Holgate was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) in 1935. Throughout his later years, he continued to paint portraits and landscapes, maintaining a consistent style characterized by clear lines and balanced compositions. Edwin Holgate died in Montreal in 1977. His work is held in the permanent collections of major public institutions, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, and the Art Gallery of Ontario.
