‘MOUNTAIN MEADOW’ OIL-ON-BOARD BY GEORGE H.G. SWINTON (1960)

Impasto flourishes describe the rugged peaks of Alberta’s Rockies in thick, palpable strokes of oil, in this compact 1960 mountainscape by Canadian painter GEORGE H.G. SWINTON (1917–2002). The heavy pigment catches the fiery reddish orange, not of any geographical phenomena, but rather the warm light of the rising sun, as if its glow were permanently cast upon the rock. Center stage, between the summits, a serene counterpoint emerges in the form of a secluded meadow, painted in a mossy, velvety green that presents as soft and welcoming. Overhead, high-contrast shades of orange and turquoise evoke the fleeting drama of sunrise. GEORGE HENRY GORDON SWINTON (1917–2002) was a Canadian painter and historian, and a pioneering writer and collector of Inuit art. His 1965 book Eskimo Sculpture was a seminal work of its time, offering an early and thorough examination of the topic. Subsequent books provided more detail and represented a nearly exhaustive visual documentation of the subject, whi