Lawren Harris,
Mount Lefroy, c. 1929

Mount Lefroy, c. 1929, by the Group of Seven’s Lawren S. Harris (1885–1970), is one of the five known graphite studies for his iconic painting Mt. Lefroy, 1930, a standout in the McMichael collection. This drawing, removed from one of Harris’s sketchbooks long ago, now accompanies three other preparatory studies in the McMichael collection: one pencil drawing (1975.64) and three oil sketches (1971.12; 1981.85.2; 1986.1). Harris is known to have made at least one other oil study and several additional pencil drawings in preparation for the painting, created shortly before the artist shifted from representational to abstract painting styles. The sketch imbues the Rocky Mountain landscape with a profound sense of spirituality and the sublime, breaking away from the artist’s earlier depictions of nature grounded more strictly in representation.  

This important work tells the story of the evolution of Mt. Lefroy from quick pencil drawing to large easel painting. It showcases Harris’s gestural pencil marks and rough notations absent from his assured paintings of this period, which are characterized by their smooth, precise forms. In this drawing, we also see, tantalizingly, that Harris has not resolved the point of the peak, instead leaving it shrouded in amorphous cloud. Studies like this one allow us to see familiar works in a new light.