Margaret Dorothy Shelton’s Bankview (1941) is a finely carved linocut depicting a hillside neighbourhood rendered with clarity, rhythm, and structural discipline. The composition is built from a network of sharply cut lines that describe rows of modest houses stepping down the slope, connected by paths, fences, and stairways that guide the eye through the scene. Shelton uses strong contrasts of black and white to articulate roofs, siding, and terrain, allowing light to emerge through carefully controlled negative space.

The landscape is unmistakably urban yet rooted in Shelton’s broader interest in working-class environments. The houses are closely grouped, their forms simplified and repeated, creating a sense of cohesion rather than individuality. Curving roads and diagonally sloped fields introduce movement and depth, while clusters of trees and utility poles punctuate the geometry of the built environment.

Executed in a direct, unsentimental style, Bankview reflects Shelton’s commitment to representing everyday Canadian life without romanticisation. The print exemplifies her mastery of woodcut technique, demonstrating both technical precision and a deep sensitivity to place. It stands as a strong example of her contribution to Canadian printmaking during her most productive period of the late 1930s and early 1940s.