Oscar Cahén

Oscar Cahén
Life & Work by Jaleen Grove
Northern Renaissance
Flourishing in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the Renaissance in Northern Europe
was characterized by the rise of Humanism, by an engagement with Italy and the
classical world, and by the impact of the Protestant Reformation. Advances in artistic
techniques, notably the development of oil paint and printmaking, saw various art forms
generated with a high level of invention, detail, and skill. Hieronymus Bosch, Albrecht
Dürer, and Hans Holbein are key figures.
Onley, Toni (British/Canadian, 1928–2004)
A western Canadian artist who painted watercolour landscapes and abstracts, Onley
published the book Onley’s Arctic, based on a trip to the Arctic in 1974. His work is held
at the Tate and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, UK; the Museum of Modern
Art in New York; the National Gallery of Canada, and the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Pachner, William (American, b.1915)
Having fled Europe for the United States in 1939, Pachner became art director of
Esquire magazine. Ending his career as a commercial artist, he turned exclusively to
painting in response to the Holocaust. His Abstract Expressionist works are defined by
swirling, multi-layered colours and texture.
Painters Eleven
An artists’ group active from 1953 to 1960, formed by eleven Abstract Expressionist
Toronto-area painters, including Harold Town, Jack Bush, and William Ronald. They
joined together in an effort to increase their exposure, given the limited interest in
abstract art in Ontario at the time.
Parker, Al (American, 1906–1985)
Considered an innovator of illustration at his time, Al Parker was a prominent magazine
illustrator from the 1940s to the 1960s. His work appeared in publications such as
Sports Illustrated, Cosmopolitan, McCalls, Vogue, and the Saturday Evening Post.
Picasso, Pablo (Spanish, 1881–1973)
One of the most famous and influential artists of his time, Picasso was a prominent
member of the Parisian avant-garde circle that included Henri Matisse and Georges
Braque. His painting Les demoiselles d’Avignon, 1906–7, is considered by many to be
the most important of the twentieth century.
Post-Impressionism
A term coined by the British art critic Roger Fry in 1910 to describe painting produced
originally in France between about 1880 and 1905 in response to Impressionism’s
artistic advances and limitations. Central figures include Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin,
and Vincent van Gogh.
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