Albert Henry Robinson 1881 – 1956

Albert Henry Robinson ( 1881 – 1956 ) RCA CGP
Title “Lower St. Lawrence”
Size: oil on 8.5″x 10.5″panel ( 13 7/8″ x 15 7/8″ framed ) From the artist mature period of the 1920’s……. N.F.S.

“Big ice fields go up and down the river with the tides “, ” across the river, the bold line of hills on the north shore“. A.Y. Jackson, excerpts from his autobiography “A Painter’s Country” on the Cacouna area, while sketching with Robinson along the Lower St. Lawrence.

Described as a Painter’s Painter, Robinson was highly regarded by his peers. Not only was he a guest exhibitor in the first Group of Seven showing in 1920, but he continued to exhibit for a total of eight of their showings. The artist’s finest works were produced between 1920 and 1933 on his numerous sketching trips of the quaint villages and countryside of the St. Lawrence River. Often painting along side fellow artists such as A Y Jackson, Edwin Holgate and Clarence Gagnon. Considered a low production artist and having his career cut short due to complications from a heart attack suffered in 1933, makes Robinson’s works considerably rare.

Born 1881 in Hamilton, Ontario
Trained under John Sloan Gordon at the Hamilton Art School
In 1903 he attended the Academie Julian, Paris under William Bouguereau
Further training at the École des beaux-arts
Returned to Canada in 1905 to teach at the Hamilton Art School
Moved to Montreal in 1908 and proceed to capture the beauty of Quebec over the next 20 plus years
After World War 1, he went on sketching trips with A.Y. Jackson to small towns along the St Lawrence St-Tite-des-Caps, Baie-St-Paul, Cacouna, Quebec City, and the Laurentians.
ARCA 1911, full member RCA 1920, exhibiting over 60 paintings
Painted with square brushes and was known as a ”painters painter”
1933 suffers a heart attack followed by arthritis takes a toll on his ability to paint
Founding member of the Canadian Group of Painters in 1933
Died in 1956 Montreal, Quebec