Snow II Lawren Harris

 

This is the piece of artwork that I have chosen to critique.  This painting is called Snow II, painted in 1915 by Lawren S. Harris who was a member of the Group of 7. He was a landscape painter and painted Canadian landscapes. Lawren S. Harris participated in the following art periods, Abstract Art and Art Nouveau He went to the University of Toronto as well as St Andrew’s College Technician school. He was born in 1885 in Brantford Ontario and died in 1970 in Vancouver. The Group of Seven was a group of Canadian artists that was created in the 1900s.  Each member  explored a variety of different techniques and now today influence other artists. During this time period, Harris was influenced by early modernism in Europe, including Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. This painting above Snow II is beautiful.  It outlines Canada’s winters and represents what it looks like here. Lawren uses texture, colour, shape, value as well as line, and all these elements of art contribute to harmony, proportion. I can see movement with the texture that was added. I know I’m supposed to critique this artwork but I don’t think artwork should be critiqued because every piece of art is special in its own way and was the way it was done for a reason even if it doesn’t make sense. One thing I do notice in this painting is the trees in the background that are golden or golden brown which isn’t very realistic along with the sky colour.  I think he could have made it more realistic but again I think it was done this way for a reason and I don’t think it should be critiqued.