 |
| Sketch of patients of the Calydor Sanitorium in Gravenhurst? Could this have been sketched by former patient Dr. Norman Bethune |
AN ORIGINAL SKETCH BY DR. NORMAN BETHUNE? DOES THE BACKGROUND OF THE SKETCH SHOW THE FORMER CALYDOR SANITORIUM IN GRAVENHURST?
WE NEED YOUR HELP TO IDENTIFY THE ARTIST AND THE BUILDING IN THIS LOCALLY UNCOVERED SKETCH
The images published above, were taken from a sketch I found a few months ago, askew and stained in a cheap, bent metal frame, in the jumble of lesser art prints, on display in a local second hand shop. I picked the framed sketch up the first time, studied it for a few moments, thought it might be worth hauling home, but put it back in the bin. I wandered around the shop, still thinking it a rather odd, yet familiar depiction, of something I'd seen before. It was intriguing, and yet I kept putting it back on the shelf, while I looked at other images in the same pile. I picked it up, and put it back a total of four times, and it wasn't until I was just about to head for the check-out counter, when I decided that for the several dollar asking price, I'd take a chance I could successfully reframe the sketch to have a more saleable impact for our shop.
Later that day, after staring at the sketch for several hours, on and off, at that point free from the cheap frame and taped-on matting, it suddenly became one of those bazinga moments. The background building the group of men are standing in front of, could be the former Calydor Sanitorium, in Gravenhurst. This private sanitorium operated from the period of the First World War until the 1930's, and was acquired in 1939 by the federal government, to be used as a prisoner of war camp for German soldiers, sent to Canada from imprisonment in Britain. I have written quite a bit about both installations, and was pretty sure the building was part of the Calydor hospital architecture, dating it to its sanitorium period, versus the prison-camp era of its history.
The more we studied the fragile piece of paper, on which the sketch had been applied, we noticed some curious realities of the individuals in the frame. You will notice that a number of the characters illustrated, have visible ties, consistent with a hospital-issued robe. There are photographs Suzanne has viewed previously, from her archive work, showing similar garb worn by gas-victim patients at Calydor, who were being treated at the Gravenhurst facility, on arrangement by the federal government. These were the soldiers who had been injured with poison gas in the trenches of the First World War, and who required similar medical resources, and healthful environs, as were needed by patients suffering from tuberculosis. On the left side of the sketch, you will notice a patient wearing a covering over his face, which may suggest not only a respiratory injury but skin burns as well.
We believe the tree in the background, may be an exaggerated lilac stand, which is common to that property, which would in its final years, become the site of the Gateway Hotel. There were huge lilac clusters, of old growth, around the long retired tennis courts, that probably dated back to the Prisoner of War Camp use of the acreage. So it is certainly in keeping with the nature of the property, to find such flora and fauna as witnessed in the sketch.
There are those characters who appear clad in military uniforms, and if it is true, the sketch is indeed, of former hospital patients, those on the left side, right up to the upper edge of the paper, and obscured by the gnarled branches of the tree, may in fact, be haunting images of those who passed-away, as a result of their injuries or illness. The more you study the drawing, the stranger the art work becomes; and the more unique and curious the story-line, especially if our assumption is correct, that the subject artist was creating a group image of inmates, past and present. It gets a little unsettling after awhile, when the dots don't line-up, and more questions remain than answers.
I have had many visitors to our Gravenhurst shop, look at the sketch, to see if they can find some identifying feature that we may have missed. Ninety percent of those we've asked about the familiarity of the architecture, in behind, and who know Gravenhurst history, have no problem quickly identifying the structure as part of the former Calydor facility, of the 1920's and 30's, in the period before the prison camp years. Several astute art hobbyists, suggested that the panel is a merging of three different images, in one sketch; being the left and right sides, and the middle, where the horse and buggy is obviously delivering, or picking someone up from the facility. And none of those we've asked for an opinion, believe that it was a staged gathering for a photograph, or for the artist to make a hurried keepsake sketch. We have had opinions that suggest a resident artist, probably a patient at Calydor, who liked to make such sketches, (to kill time), may have been working from a larger photograph, or numerous, that hung in the hospital, that were prominent to patients and guests. It could be that this was an artist's compilation of the content of three separate photographs, sketched into one rather unique scene. Why? Why would there be any reason to do this, or to organize, for that matter, a group sketch or photo of ailing patients? Who was this artist, and what was the message being relayed to others, about life and social intercourse at the Calydor facility? If indeed this is the correct location. How many competent artists were patients, or on the staff of Calydor in the twenty years or so of operation as a private sanitorium? We only know of one. Dr. Norman Bethune.
Dr. Bethune was prolific as a sketch artist, producing many art pieces during his stay in sanitoriums, here in Gravenhurst, and when residing in a facility at Lake Saranac, during the early 1930's, when he was suffering from tuberculosis. Quite a substantial number of his sketches and paintings have been collected and preserved, and published in several of his biographies. Although he was a patient at Calydor for only a few months, it is known that he did sketch while a patient. His work is unique and a little peculiar, and he most often sketched himself, or his name, into these works; including his name etched onto a tombstone, with, of all things, his anticipated date of death. There is another image, a well known, quite proficient depiction of the "death angel", holding Bethune's lifeless body. While Bethune experts consulted, and given a copy of the sketch, have not yet offered any opinion of the work, afforded them for closer scrutiny three months ago, there are undeniable similarities, which make us ponder the possibility he may have been responsible for this obviously "storied" sketch. Is it possible that Bethune made this sketch, in part, from photographs he had access to, hanging in the Calydor facility; and that the characters on the left, high side, are indeed, portraits of the deceased he somehow had access to, during his brief stay? We also wonder, from self portraits Bethune sketched into other art panels, to include himself in the storied compositions, whether he may have done the same in the sketch shown above, being the similar looking chap, laying on the ground, at the front, on the right side of the image? Positioned as if it was a team or social club photograph. Yet strangely, it's a sketch and not a photograph.
Could it be that the sketch was left by Dr. Bethune, when he was transferred to the larger tubercular facility at Lake Saranac, in the United States; possibly placed on a bulletin board, or discarded outrightly, and harvested sometime later by a staff person, who might have taken it home to a nearby residence. Many locals at the time, worked in a variety of capacities at the numerous local sanatoriums, from gardening, maintenance, to laundry and kitchen work, not to mention nursing and clerical staff. It might have been the case, the drawing was part of an estate clearance, without any provenance attached to the picture frame, in which it was fastened by yellowed transparent tape. This happens frequently with estate clear-outs, that heirloom and important pieces get turfed because there is no clearly defined provenance, to indicate to executors, the inherent value of select pieces with historical connectedness to major events and recognitions; such as the case of significant awards. What I'm pointing out, that it is not beyond the realm of possibility, that a staff member would have retrieved what was to be discarded, because they either admired the piece, or happened to have enjoyed Dr. Bethune's stay. This is unlikely because he wasn't a model patient by any stretch. Still, it is the kind of sketch that demands a second, third and even fourth look, as it did for me when I first came across it, amongst some really poor art pieces where the highest asking price was only two dollars.
We are art admirers and historians who love to chase down the stories connected to unsigned works, we uncover out on our regular antique hunts. We make no claim to be experts but we have a few credentials onside, to help us, at the very least, narrow the possibilities; based on the work of other artists, and what we know of the backdrop, and unusual features, when they are clearly identifiable. We are reasonably sure the sketch above is not of the Calydor Prisoner of War Camp, although we can't say this, having any more proof than what the architecture reflects; and what the lilac tree reminds us of, having walked the property a thousand times since we moved to Gravenhurst in the late 1980's. We thought it was within the bounds of possibility, not to rule Dr. Bethune out, as the potential artist responsible for the sketch above. We have run it by several authorities, who have, to date, offered no opinion whatsoever, on whether this could be a part of Canadian history, or just a highly detailed doodle on a scrap piece of paper. Regardless, we are pretty sure it is a one of a kind relic of Gravenhurst history, that we are proud to own, and display for our customers, and for you folks checking out today's blog. You folks, by the way, are the first to see this image; as this is the very first occasion it has been published anywhere by any means. The images above are of the original, done for examination by art experts. Obviously it didn't pass muster, which seems a tad perplexing, but this also highlights the difficulty and expense of having art pieces researched and identified. At this point, it is a two dollar sketch that may or may not be of historical significance. We like it, and wish to know more about it, and the artist....if ever attainable. If you have any knowledge of this sketch, found locally, or happen to have the art experience to identify the artist, based on the composition of the work, we would love to hear from you. I love mysteries, but I like solving them better.
Every year since I began collecting art for myself, and much of it for eventual re-sale, I have engaged in this same daunting task, of putting a name and location to an unsigned, otherwise unidentified painting or engraving. It's beyond maddening at times, but low and behold, the fault rests with me. I could have taken a specially designed course, known to art appraisers, but I decided to remain a lowly art admirer instead, counting on the expertise of others to identify what I might mistakenly believe is a lost master work worth millions. In forty years I've missed that mark by the proverbial country mile. There have been many exceptional finds, enough to whet my appetite for more, and of this, I feel adequately rewarded in profit and enthusiasm, to continue the quest. A majority of art and antique collectors, and dealers, would have purchased this same sketch, despite the fact it was unsigned, and could take hundreds of hours to authenticate; and even then, there's no guarantee it will be worth the time invested. It certainly helps in this case, when the price was low to start with; so investing in it, in terms of research, isn't all that burdensome to shoulder. What I like about this picture, beyond the possibility it might have been sketched by a known artist, or Bethune as a time killing activity, is that it possesses a story that needs to be told. I think we're close to fereting-out the truth of this art work, and its provenance, and we may be surprised at what it is, and what it isn't!
It's currently not for sale, because we want to share the image first, with others who find it equally strange and befuddling, with however, some distinct familiarity; that may in fact, make it one of the most significant Muskoka relics uncovered in recent history. Is it worth a million bucks? I'm not that lucky, believe me!
Feel free to comment.
No comments:
Post a Comment