J.E.H. MacDonald was captivated by the lively vistas and serene countryside surrounding his home in Thornhill, on the outskirts of bustling Toronto. MacDonald relocated to the region in 1913, and here he often welcomed fellow Group of Seven members to visit and sketch. Inspired by the transcendentalist philosophies of Henry David Thoreau and the Romantic ideals of Walt Whitman, MacDonald infused his depictions of the Canadian landscape with a contemplative, poetic sensibility, as is exemplified by this vibrant sketch.

Here, MacDonald deftly weaves the rhythmic forms of sky, tree and earth into one harmonious vignette. Billowing cloud forms tumble across a brilliant blue sky, their movement mirrored in the subtle furrows of the field, while a distant row of stately trees sways and bends against the wind. Through his quick, expressive brush-strokes and dreamy palette of soft blues, swathes of pastel green, and delicate touches of pinkish beige across the meadow, MacDonald eloquently captures the ephemeral, atmospheric qualities of the sunlit farmland. Painted near the end of his life, this quintessential sketch offers a striking portrayal of the bucolic everyday surroundings that long enchanted the artist.