Feb 20, 2025

A canon of landscapes

Legendary Canadian painter and printmaker David Milne truly loved nature and it shows in his body of work

David Brown Milne. Ploughed Field in Winter, 1933. Oil on canvas, Overall: 50.8 x 61 cm. The Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario. © Art Gallery of Ontario AGOID.104196

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Many Canadian artists have showcased nature in their work, making the country’s canon of art synonymous with the Northern wilderness. David Milne (1882 – 1953) was such an artist. The painter and printmaker’s love affair with nature is evident after one look at his body of work—more than 100 works of which are part of the AGO Collection.

Born in 1882 in Bruce County, Ontario, to Scottish immigrant parents, Milne was the youngest of 10 children. His relationship with the outdoors started early, working as a farmhand with his siblings at the age of 10. After performing exceptionally well in school, at 21, he moved to New York City to study painting at the Art Students League. He spent the next decade there doing commercial design work and developing his painting practice. Milne served briefly in the Canadian army and then relocated to rural New York State to paint landscapes for a number of years before permanently returning home to Canada. It was here in Ontario – from 1929 on – that Milne created his most iconic work, famously living and painting outdoor environments in Temagami, Port Severn and Uxbridge, among other scenic locations.

David Brown Milne. Blue Lake, July 1 1935. Oil on canvas, Overall: 41.3 x 51.5 cm. Gift from the J.S. McLean Collection, by Canada Packers Inc., Toronto, 1990. © Art Gallery of Ontario 89/893

Milne was known to be a deeply spiritual man who found harmony and connection in nature. As an artist, he was greatly concerned with the process of his work –more so than the result – often retreating into the wilderness to spend months on end in a small cabin, completely immersed in practice. He would spend the days painting rolling hills, tree lines and horizons, and at night, he would write in his journal, huddled in front of a fire.

David Brown Milne. Country Road, Palgrave, 1932. Oil on canvas, Framed: 77.2 × 92.2 cm. Private collection. The Thomson Collection © Art Gallery of Ontario AGOID.108077

Proficient in watercolour, oil painting and printmaking, as well as various forms of writing, Milne’s talents were many. He dabbled in painting still life and urban settings, yet the vast majority of his work consists of Ontario landscapes. Though directly influenced by well-known Impressionists like Claude Monet and Henri Matisse, Milne’s simplicity of subjects and unique ability to distill a painting down to its essentials made him distinct.

David Brown Milne. Wooded Hills IV, March 1951. Charcoal, watercolour, gouache on wove paper, Overall: 37.2 x 55.4 cm. Gift from the J.S. McLean Collection, by Canada Packers Inc., Toronto, 1990. © Art Gallery of Ontario 89/889

In 2012, the AGO opened the David Milne Centre, with support from the Ivey Foundation and Richard M. Ivey, after receiving a generous gift of works from the Milne family in 2009. In 2019, the Centre was updated and reinstalled. Along with an assortment of works by Milne, visitors enjoy a comfortable seating/lounging area, artmaking activities and fascinating digital content about the artist.

Enjoy nature, and be sure to check out the David Milne Centre, along with works by the artist, on view at the AGO on Level 1.

The David Milne Centre is generously supported by the Ivey Foundation and Richard M. Ivey.