Donald E Phillips
Title: ” Evening Montreal River”
Size: 22”x 25” ( 28 1/8″ x 31 1/4″ framed ) …….. $1,450.00 Canadian
Exhibited: “Canadian National Exhibition Toronto, 1953”
The Work & Provenance
This striking landscape captures the rugged topography of the Montreal River in the Algoma District—a region made legendary by the Group of Seven’s early boxcar sketching trips. Best described as “Canadian School,” the work demonstrates a mastery of the bold, structured brushwork used to define Northern Ontario’s wilderness.
This striking landscape captures the rugged topography of the Montreal River in the Algoma District—a region made legendary by the Group of Seven’s early boxcar sketching trips. Best described as “Canadian School,” the work demonstrates a mastery of the bold, structured brushwork used to define Northern Ontario’s wilderness.
The painting remains in its original gallery frame, with the curated 1953 CNE exhibition label still attached to the reverse. At the time of exhibition, it was priced at $200.00—a significant sum for the early 1950s that reflects Phillips’ status as an established professional.
About the Artist: Donald E. Phillips
Professional Background & Provenance
Historical records from the 1954 Might’s Greater Toronto City Directory confirm that Phillips balanced his fine-art pursuits with a professional career in Toronto’s booming postwar advertising scene. He was employed as a commercial artist for Planned Sales Limited—a notable mid-century Toronto display, marketing, and design production house that served as a collaborative training ground for several prominent Canadian artists of the era (including a young Joyce Wieland). During this period of his active exhibition career, Phillips resided at 24 Crescentwood Road in Scarborough.
Historical records from the 1954 Might’s Greater Toronto City Directory confirm that Phillips balanced his fine-art pursuits with a professional career in Toronto’s booming postwar advertising scene. He was employed as a commercial artist for Planned Sales Limited—a notable mid-century Toronto display, marketing, and design production house that served as a collaborative training ground for several prominent Canadian artists of the era (including a young Joyce Wieland). During this period of his active exhibition career, Phillips resided at 24 Crescentwood Road in Scarborough.
Phillips’ professional standing is confirmed by the original 1953 Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) label attached to the reverse of this work. His acceptance into the CNE’s juried “Canadian Painting and Sculpture Exhibition” indicates he was an established figure within the Ontario art community.
His choice of the Montreal River in Algoma as a subject, combined with his bold, structured brushwork, demonstrates a clear mastery of the “Canadian School” style. This piece represents a major work from a skilled professional working at the height of Ontario’s landscape movement.
D E Phillips
Montreal River Algoma
Copyright of the artist and or the artist estate.