Between 1918 and 1920, Frank Johnston participated in the Group of Seven “boxcar” journeys to Algoma. Fellow Group member Lawren Harris arranged for the use of an Algoma Central Railway boxcar as mobile lodgings and studio, and from this base the artists ventured out on foot or along the tracks by handcar. Their days were filled with sketching and their evenings filled with discussion of the day’s inspiration.

Waterfalls carve their way throughout the wild beauty of Algoma, and their dynamic qualities appealed to Johnston and his companions. Here, Johnston uses quick, gestural applications to capture the downward rush of the water. Throughout the composition, he makes effective use of the honeyed tones of the board beneath as counterpoint to his nimble depiction of the rock formations in harmonizing purples, pinks and blues. Before leaving Toronto for Winnipeg in 1921, Johnston participated in only one Group of Seven exhibition: their inaugural show in 1920. Notably, nearly all of Johnston’s 18 works featured were of Algoma, with titles such as Canyon Algoma and Rapids on the Agawa. Painterly and evocative, Algoma Waterfall portrays essential imagery from a key moment in Johnston’s important career.