In Mid-Summer on the Don River, Frederick Henry Brigden captures the Don River in the height of summer. The water flows through the centre of the composition, bordered by lush, densely packed trees and flowering shrubs. Brigden uses washes of green to paint the foliage, while blues, violets, and greens show the flow of the Don River. Sunlight filters through the trees, brightening the floral foreground and adding contrast to the shaded banks. Characteristic of Brigden’s work in watercolour, this piece shows an impressionistic treatment of light and texture, illustrating a beautiful view of Toronto’s Don River.

During the early 20th century, the Don River in Toronto, Ontario, was undergoing a significant transformation. Once a pristine waterway bordered by dense forests and fertile floodplains, the river had begun to be impacted the growing industrialization and urbanization of Toronto. By the 1910s and 1920s, parts of the Don, especially the lower Don near the city’s industrial core, were heavily polluted. However, upstream areas, including the Don Valley and its tributaries, remained largely picturesque, retaining their appeal for artists, walkers, and naturalists. These upper stretches of the Don River continued to inspire landscape painters like Frederick Henry Brigden, who captured the river as unspoiled and magnificent, which was very different from the rapid industrialization occurring nearby. This watercolour preserves the Don Valley river as a place of beauty.
This watercolour on paper measures 10.5 x 14.5 inches and is protected by museum glass.