Christmas Cards

This collection of serigraphs of Christmas cards were the brainwave of A. Y. Jackson, a member of the Group of Seven Canadian painters. Jackson was an enthusiastic cheerleader for the Beaver Hall Group and approached William E. Coutts with the idea to produce the artistic designs as seasonal cards – the Canadian Painters’ Series of Christmas Cards.

Coutts produced many of the silk screen designs himself by hand and offered them for sale in the early 1930’s.

Montréal may have been bursting with energy and industry and a general roaring-twenties exuberance but World War I had barely been over for ten years and the Depression Years (1929 – 1941) loomed. The cards were too expensive for many and few Québecois, or Canadians in general, embraced the Christmas spirit.

Despite the vivid colours and artistic depth and perspective of the prototypes, the cards were not a commercial success. Kathleen simply added her efforts to her bundle of sketches. After almost a century, it is thrilling to see her raw talent come to light and at work to tell new stories and refresh our memories.

The vibrant shade of red for Kathleen’s sleigh is absolutely stunning. It is reminiscent of the Ottoman’s famous ‘tomato red.’ Also known as İznik red, this dramatic coral hue was an elusive colour, a secret that 16th century craftsmen shared with nobody. Modern ceramicists have tried hard to copy the distinctive radiance, not always as successfully as Kathleen has!

The theme here replicates Katheen’s well-known After Mass at Berthiéville with its colourful horse blankets, sleighs parked in front of the church and the congregation emerging.