Tom Thomson

Tom Thomson
Life & Work by David P. Silcox
Tom Thomson, Moonlight, 1913–14, oil on canvas, 52.9 x 77.1 cm, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. This painting was the first of many works by Thomson that the National
Gallery purchased, both during his life and later from his estate
Everyone expected that the war in France would soon end, but as the months
wore on, Jackson decided to enlist, followed by Varley and Harris. Thomson, although he
had just turned thirty-seven, attempted to join up more than once, but he was not
accepted—apparently because of his flat feet. Some of the other residents in Algonquin
Park opposed his patriotic views about the war, and at times they argued angrily about
Canada’s involvement in the conflict. Thomson expressed his anguish about the war in
sketches such as Fire-Swept Hills, 1915, which echoed the turmoil, destruction, and
death that was sweeping across France and Belgium.
Gathering Momentum, 1915
Thomson spent the spring and summer of 1915 on long trips in different sections of
Algonquin Park. A new cedar-strip canoe and a silk tent added to his pleasures and
comforts, and his small oil sketches on wood panels mounted up impressively. He made
little effort to sell them, and he generously gave many away to people who admired
them. Only the canvases he sold brought in some money. To make ends meet, once
Dr. James MacCallum’s year of support had ended, he worked as a fire ranger or fishing
guide whenever he could.
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