The Women of Beaver Hall: Canadian Modernist Painters [Hardcover]

The Beaver Hall Group was an association of Quebec artists which officially began its existence in 1920. Under the leadership of A.Y. Jackson, the group attracted and fostered the work of artists interested in the newest European trends and unconcerned about the consequences of cold-shouldering traditional approaches to subject representation. Remarkably, unlike its Ontario counterpart, the Group of Seven, the Beaver Hall Group had a large contingent of female artists, and though the Group prided itself on its eschewal of any bias-related to class, gender, or artistic preference-it seems to have been especially hospitable to women and proved an excellent springboard for their careers. The work of ten of its most successful women is celebrated in this book with colour plates and short but not uninformative biographies. The book is therefore of some historical value in addition to being a beautifully produced "art book" richly exhibiting works that deserve to be known and admired.
The ten women on view here are Nora Collyer, Emily Coonan, Prudence Heward, Mabel Lockerby, Henrietta Mabel May, Kathleen Morris, Lilias Torrance Newton, Sarah Robertson, Anne Savage, and Ethel Seath. All ten were born in the last quarter of the 19th century. Kathleen Morris was the last to pass away in 1986.
The Art Association of Montreal, which evolved into the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, was the art school of note in early 20th-century Montreal, and provided a thorough grounding in drawing and painting, supplementing technical studies with frequent lectures and a library of books and catalogues. The Beaver Hall elite begun their education there, but were later encouraged to break free of conventional ideas concerning both art and the role of women in society and the professions.
I'm greatly taken with the portraits of Emily Coonan (Italian Girl, c. 1921, Girl in Dotted Dress, c. 1923), Prudence Heward (At the Theatre, 1928, Girl in the Window, 1941, and At the CafT, n.d.), and Lilias Torrance Newton (Portrait of Madame Lily Valty, n.d.), Self-Portrait, c. 1929, Lady in Black, c. 1936). These works are phenomenal-timeless, existing outside of any period or style, despite the modernist label. Coonan's and Heward's work is often haunting; the women portrayed are in a space of their own, looking inward and sad. Lilias Torrance Newton's models are beautiful, confident, and look to be nearly within reach of the personal liberty and independence North American women enjoy today.
There are superb landscapes here. When Henrietta Mabel May didn't allow herself to be overly influenced by European impressionists, she did unique work (In the Laurentians, n.d., Melting Snow, c. 1925, Summertime, c. 1935). Every reproduction of Anne Savage's work in this book is gorgeous and original (Yellow Days, Lake Wonish, 1960, La Maison Rouge, Dorval, c. 1928, Northern Town, Banff, c. 1938). The same can be said of the distinctive, illustrative paintings of Ethel Seath (The White Barn, Eastern Townships, c. 1941, Pears in a Window, before 1944, Undergrowth, 1954). I don't have room here to prTcis the careers or personal histories of these talented, dedicated women, many of whom served their communities as volunteers or educators, and accomplished a great deal besides their art. I would encourage readers interested in fine Canadian art to seek this book out and get to know the works and the women who painted them. ò
Olga Stein (Books in Canada)

The Women of Beaver Hall: Canadian Modernist Painters... is a handsome book in the finest coffee-table tradition, its pages thick and glossy, its more than 65 plates in full colour. But it's much more than that, too.

Striding far beyond the narrow borders usually associated with coffee tables, The Women of Beaver Hall is at once exposition, homage and feminist celebration of 10 remarkable artists.

Janice Kennedy, Ottawa Citizen, January 24, 2006

Ten Canadian women, counterparts of the Group of Seven, are finally being given their due. Long overlooked by critics and historians, their works are today among the most sought-after Canadian paintings. The Beaver Hall women ventured into a male-dominated art world, lived remarkable lives and produced exceptional work. Engaging and beautifully designed, The Women of Beaver Hall portrays the lives and works of Nora Collyer, Emily Coonan, Prudence Heward, Mabel Lockerby, Henrietta Mabel May, Kathleen Moir Morris, Lilias Torrance Newton, Sarah Robertson, Anne Savage and Ethel Seath. With its clear, concise style and more than 65 colour plates, this important reference book is a work of art in itself.

The Record, February 11th 2006

"With more than 65 colour plates, this book illustrates the exceptional work of the Beaver Hall women, while author Evelyn Waters has trawled archives, old catalogues and newspapers to document their distinctive lives. Only one of the 10 wed--either career or marriage, not both, was the hard choice of the day for women--but they left a legacy that for art aficionados, and perhaps one day for the public at large, rivals the Group of Seven." (The Beaver (now Canada's History) April - May 2006 )

"…rich in works seldom seen…" (Telegraph Journal (Saint John, NB) )