This playful scene, deftly handled in shades of white gouache on a black surface illustrates the twin existences that Frank (Franz) Johnston and many of his contemporaries held - that of “fine artist” and “commercial artist.” Their best work often merges these two worlds, fusing gestural, modern surfaces with exquisitely balanced compositions and a nuanced tonality, as seen here. Produced in 1919, during Johnston’s closest association with the Group of Seven, this work is reminiscent of the many murals produced by Tom Thomson and Johnston’s fellow Group members – such as those commissioned by Dr. James McCallum for his cottage on Georgian Bay’s Go Home Bay, which are now a part of the collection of the National Gallery of Canada.