The playmates

William Brymner is the first Canadian to be admitted to the famous Académie Julian in Paris. He traveled for the first time to Fontaine Bleau in the summer of 1881 where he devoted himself to creating outdoor landscapes. In the summer of 1884, the Canadian painter persisted in selling more of his works in order to no longer be financially dependent on his father. The painter then settled in Yorkshire in England. He heard that “English subjects sell much better in England than foreign subjects. "During the summer, he works on painting various paintings." He meets several people in the community and asks local children to pose for him. Although he does not write down their names, he notes what demanding models they are: “The difficulties of painting children of the size of mine are terrible. Holding the pose for two minutes and then doing something completely different for ten minutes almost drives me crazy sometimes, but they are more beautiful than anything, which is what keeps me going. » The presence of clouds in the painting is revealing because the artist does not work when the weather is “too sunny”. The tones are therefore soft — like a reflection of diffused light."1

1- Jocelyn Anderson, William Brymner, his life his work, Art Canadian Institute, https://www.aci-iac.ca/fr/livres-dart/william-brymner/oeuvres-phares/une-gerbe- flowers/

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