Landscape Compare/Contrast in Landscape Painting

Landscape Compare/Contrast Essay
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The early 20th century marked a period for major transitions in the Canadian painting industry with the emergence of various initiatives led by some of the country’s renowned artists in showcasing the beautiful landscapes. Characterized by both actual paintings of landscapes as they appear and creative recreations of the Canadian topography artists such as the Group of Seven established the country’s art industry on the world’s map. The country’s beautiful sceneries characterized by the diverse landscapes offered inspiration to such artists leading to a collection of Canada’s beauty through the effective application of the paintbrush. The landscape paintings produced during this period featured the use of bold colors and decorative patterns to add an appealing element to the natural appearances of the object at hand. Among the artists known for their exquisite works of landscape depictions include Tom Thompson and Emily Carr, who spearheaded by the artistic revolution in different Canadian regions. Tom Thompson’s, The West Wind, developed during the winter period between 1916-1917 makes for one of the most outstanding landscape exhibitions in Canada. Displayed at the Canadian National Gallery, the image is a representation of the country’s northern landscape and doubles as an expression of the artist’s unique strokes to deliver the masterpiece reflection of the region's natural appearance on canvas. Emily Carr is another Canadian artist known for her great landscape works of art and her contribution to the nation’s art industry. Emily’s work branches out of the common creations by other artists from Eastern region of Canada as she is not inspired by the parkland features but focuses on capturing the British Columbia landscapes, which are characteristic of woodlands and greenery. Emily Carr’s Zonoqua of the Cat Village provides an excellent example of the artist’s unique landscape inspiration featuring in most of her works. A comparative analysis of the outlined works by the two artists provides an excellent platform for understanding the unique features of landscape painting and the artist’s perception of the subjects in both images.[Gagnon, Francois-marc. 2015. "Art." The Canadian Encyclopedia. July 6. Accessed October 7, 2019. /en/article/art.] [Gagnon, Francois-marc. 2015. "Art." The Canadian Encyclopedia. July 6. Accessed October 7, 2019. /en/article/art.] [Ibid.] [Stepaniuk, Violette. 2014. "Tom Thompson's The West Wind at NGC Well Worth a Visit." Study28; art appreciation tutorial. December 22. Accessed October 7, 2019. http://study28.com/tom-thomsons-west-wind-ngc-well-worth-visit/] [Roberts, Constance. 2018. "A Landscape in Flux: Emily Carr’s Zunoqua of the Cat Village and the Moment of Colonization." Aisthesis 19-26.]
The West Wind by Tom Thompson portrays the artist’s skillful use of individual strokes to create both the beauty and the harsh reality of the Canadian landscape in the Northern region. The artist captures the strong rocky banks of a lake in the northern landscape as well as the surrounding mountains on the horizon. The careful use of strokes functi...