Detail: The Blue Sleigh by Sarah Robertson.
Sarah Robertson (1891-1948)
Sarah Margaret Armour Robertson was born in Montreal in 1891. The bilingual bustling city was Canada’s business and cultural centre. Her family belonged to the English establishment, who emulated the life-style of the British upper class. The eldest of four children, her childhood appears idyllic. There were ponies to ride at the country estate and a governess and servants in the city. After her father died in 1926, the family fortunes dwindled and she lived with her strong-willed mother. An unmarried woman was expected to stay at home and support elderly parents. A woman’s role was clearly defined: marry well, have children, support charities and organize social gatherings.
Sarah Robertson sketching outdoors, n.d.
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Sarah Robertson, by Emily Coonan, Oil on wood, 25.4 x 20.3 cm (10x8 in) 1916
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Health and financial issues limited Robertson’s output to three or four canvasses a year. She remained an active and respected member of the arts community, joining progressive groups like the Contemporary Arts Society and Canadian Group of Painters. Many arts organizations and schools in the 1920’s and 1930’s were men-only. This above all: to thine own self be true was the motto she shared with close friend and painting colleague Prudence Heward.
Fort of the Sulpician Seminary, Oil on canvas, 61.2 x 66.5 cm (24x26 in) 1931
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October, Ottawa Valley (also known as Storm Como) Oil on Canvas, 63.5 x 71.5 cm (25x28 in) c.1937
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Intermittently, from 1909 to 1924, Robertson studied with William Brymner and Maurice Cullen at the Art Association of Montreal. A gifted student, she was encouraged by Brymner to embrace contemporary art and self-expression. Robertson became part of the new Modernist movement in Canada, a style well-developed in Europe since the early 1900’s. The idealized subjects and precise renderings of conventional paintings gave way to abstract forms, bright colours and expressive brushwork. New styles like the Fauves, Surrealists and Cubists rocked the art world.
On Lake St. Louis, Oil on canvas, 60.5 x 65.4 cm (24x26 in) 1931
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The Blue Sleigh, Oil on canvas, 48.26 x 61 cm (20x24 in) 1924
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The Beaver Hall Group was formed in 1920 in Montreal. (The same year the Group of Seven launched in Toronto.)
A.Y. Jackson, member of the Group of Seven, was invited to be president and publicity person for Beaver Hall. The men and women in the Beaver Hall Group shared studio space in the rambling hall. Rejected by main stream museums and galleries, their first exhibition promised quality artworks with original style and emotional resonance. Robertson joined in time for their second and successful exhibition in 1922. Her artworks were well-received in Montreal reviews. A.Y. Jackson noted The Blue Sleigh (top right) and On Lake St. Louis (top left) helped define modern art in Canada. Robertson’s courage in creating original landscapes was praised by Group of Seven member Arthur Lismer.
A.Y. Jackson, member of the Group of Seven, was invited to be president and publicity person for Beaver Hall. The men and women in the Beaver Hall Group shared studio space in the rambling hall. Rejected by main stream museums and galleries, their first exhibition promised quality artworks with original style and emotional resonance. Robertson joined in time for their second and successful exhibition in 1922. Her artworks were well-received in Montreal reviews. A.Y. Jackson noted The Blue Sleigh (top right) and On Lake St. Louis (top left) helped define modern art in Canada. Robertson’s courage in creating original landscapes was praised by Group of Seven member Arthur Lismer.
Pink Tulips, Oil on wood panel, 56.3 x 46 cm (22x18 in) 1936.
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Still Life on a Chair, Oil on canvas, 45.7 x 35.6 cm (18x14 in) c.1930’s
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The Beaver Hall Group disbanded in 1923. The Women of Beaver Hall continued on, supporting each other and organizing shows. A.Y. Jackson was an ongoing mentor to the women artists. He encouraged them to move beyond female stereotypes and academic training. Painting trips with friends to the St Lawrence region, Vermont, the Laurentian Mountains and Eastern Townships provided inspiration. In 1924 and 1925, Robertson exhibited with other Canadian Modernists at the British Empire Exhibitions in Wembley. British reviews were positive and paved the way for increased appreciation at home.
Eastern Townships, Oil on panel, 29.2 x 34.4 (11x14 in) n.d.
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Spring in the Orchard, Oil on panel, 29.6x 34.6 cm (12x14 in) n.d.
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In 1928, Robertson’s painting The Blue Sleigh appeared in a Group of Seven exhibition in Toronto. Notes from the catalogue praise the painting’s fresh vision, simplicity of forms and vibrant palette. Eric Brown, director of the National Gallery of Canada (1912-1939) encouraged the Modernists by organizing shows and collecting their artworks. In a 1931 letter to Brown, Robertson thanked the director and the Group of Seven for rescuing her from obscurity. In later years, Sarah Robertson gave up outdoor sketching due to illness. She remained cheerful and supported by many friends until her death at 57.
Sources of information:
The Artist Herself : self-portraits by Canadian historical women artists, Editors, Alicia Boutilier & Tobi Bruce.
The Beaver Hall Group and its Legacy by Evelyn Walters.
The Women of Beaver Hall : Canadian modernist painters by Evelyn Walters.
By Woman’s Hand by Pepita Ferrari, NFB of Canada, 1994 documentary.
The Artist Herself : self-portraits by Canadian historical women artists, Editors, Alicia Boutilier & Tobi Bruce.
The Beaver Hall Group and its Legacy by Evelyn Walters.
The Women of Beaver Hall : Canadian modernist painters by Evelyn Walters.
By Woman’s Hand by Pepita Ferrari, NFB of Canada, 1994 documentary.
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