Until the end of August, the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art is hosting two closely related Bermuda landscape exhibitions, as seen through the eyes of Canadian artists.

The two shows are, Looking Out: Canadian Artists in Bermuda, and Isabel McLaughlin: Finding Form. Both exhibits were curated by Sara Thom, curatorial researcher at Masterworks.

Accompanying these exhibitions is an impressive 35-page catalogue that provides background information about the artists as well as the art.

Support for the exhibitions and catalogue was provided by the Christian Humann Foundation.

There are 31 artists and 67 paintings in Looking Out. The McLaughlin show in Masterwork’s Upper Mezzanine consists of 12 large watercolour and graphite paintings on paper.

The works on exhibit are a selection from the museum’s own collection of Canadian artists’ views, of Bermuda, which remarkably consists of more than 150 works. Certainly it is the largest such collection in Bermuda and possibly outside Canada.

Upon entering the exhibition, to the immediate left, are two watercolours by Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria and wife of the Governor General of Canada, who spent the winter of 1883 here in Bermuda. She was a highly accomplished artist, as will be attested by the quality of her two paintings.

Of particular note is her Lilies. It is a watercolour of an Easter lily field situated within a wooded landscape.

It is appropriate that this exhibition of Canadian art begin with the work of Princess Louise, for it was through her and her husband’s efforts, that in 1880, the Royal Academy of Canadian Art was established. This helped bring about a greater respect and prestige for Canadian art.

Princess Louise’s visit to Bermuda received extensive coverage in the international press, including the New York Times, thus putting Bermuda on the tourist map as a desirable place to visit. Within two years the Hamilton Princess opened for business. The hotel was named for her.

Before 1883 and the royal sojourn, most depictions of Bermuda by foreign eyes were created by military personnel stationed in Bermuda or by people connected with government, such as the family of the governors.

After the royal sojourn, so many artists flocked to Bermuda, it became known as a winter art colony. It’s fair to say that most were from the US but the Canadians brought a unique vision.

One early Canadian artist who fell in love with Bermuda, especially its architecture, but also the island’s colour and warmth, was John Goodwin Lyman. He arrived the autumn of 1913.

Lyman came from a wealthy Montreal family, who previous to his coming here had spent time in Paris where he studied at the Matisse Academy. Lyman took to Matisse’s approach to art with enthusiasm, but having adapted his painting to French modernism, his exhibition in Montreal was slayed by the traditional, academic critics.

At the invitation of his wealthy aunt and uncle, who owned Southlands in Warwick, he arrived here to seemingly assuage his hurt at the hands of critics. He went on the become an important professional in the Montreal art scene.

He has three paintings in the Looking Out show. A close associate who is also in this show with two paintings is Swiss-born Montreal artist, Andre Bieler. Whereas Lyman looked to Matisse, Bieler looked to Cezanne.

It is interesting that local artist, John Kaufmann, among other instructors, also studied under Lyman at Montreal’s McGill University.

The next province west, namely Ontario, was also active in the Canadian art scene. Not represented in this Canada/Bermuda show, but nevertheless, silently lurking in the shadows was the Group of Seven. Doubtless it is the most renowned Canadian art group and their influence underpin many works in both of these Masterworks exhibitions.

The one artist who stands out in these exhibitions, if for no other reason, by the sheer number of paintings in the show is Isabel McLaughlin. Her separate show in the Upper Mezzanine is beyond impressive.

The McLaughlin collection was donated to Masterworks by David Aurandt, executive director at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, Ontario in 2008, on the occasion of the opening of the Masterworks Museum when it relocated to the Bermuda Botanical Garden.

McLaughlin probably spent more time in Bermuda than any other Canadian artist in this exhibition, since her wealthy father had a substantial estate in Paget. She spent significant amounts of time here annually.

McLaughlin had a keen sense of design, including her use of colour, plus her skill in handling her tools and materials.

Jack Bush, although one of Canada’s best known Modernists, is represented by three early paintings, which are a far cry from his mature style.

He came to Bermuda for his honeymoon in 1934, when he painted at least two of the three featured works. It was only in the 1950s that he hit his mature style. He was mentored by Clement Greenberg, renowned New York art critic.

John Hartman’s View from Gibbs Hill was produced in 2005, thus making it one of the more recent paintings in the show. It’s a view looking north and east from Gibbs Hill Lighthouse. I was reminded of the Austrian expressionist Oskar Kokoschka’s well-known roughly painted cityscapes, that depicted views from a high perspective.

I wondered whether Hartman had been influenced by Kokoschka, and sure enough, my research appears to have confirmed that.

These two exhibitions showcasing a Canadian view of Bermuda should be of interest to all Bermuda resident art lovers. I highly recommend seeing it several times as there is a lot to see and consider. I have covered only what stands out for me. There is much more to see. Come visit.