Joseph Archibald Browne Canadian, February 28, 1862-November 07, 1948

Path Through the Woods by Joseph Archibalde Browne (1862-1948) is a 7 x 9.8 inch oil on board produced in 1921. The painting is signed by the artist on the bottom left as well as signed, titled and dated on the reverse. The piece depicts a forest landscape. The trees in the foreground are shrouded in shadow while the warmth of the sun lights up a dirt path that leads through the center of the composition. The artist uses vibrant golden hues and a strong contrast between light and dark to draw the eye deep into the scene. The colour palette is very warm and the style of painting is loose and airy.

Joseph Archibalde Browne was coined “The Poet Painter of Canada” for the poetic way he portrayed nature, as exhibited in this piece. His style has a whimsical quality to it, as if the scenes were pulled from a fairytale.

This piece was previously on display at the Morris Gallery in Toronto before making its way into the Rookleys Canadian Art collection.