Alan Caswell Collier, 1911 – 1990
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canadian artist Alan Caswell Collier expressed an early interest in art. He attended the Ontario College of Art where he studied under J.E.H. MacDonald, Franklin Carmichael and others from 1929 to 1933.
In ‘Algonquin Lake (Spring Mood)’, Collier depicts a clear moment in an otherwise rainy season, with local fisherman taking the opportunity to dry their nets and launch their craft. A muddy rutted road reflects the drying racks and the bright sky. In the background across the lake, majestic trees still bereft of their branches sway in a gentle breeze. In Canada, this is a season of promise, the ground already turning green and the promise of a successful year on the water.