The legacy of Toronto’s Arts and Letters Club extends well beyond serving as a meeting place for the Group of Seven; it has also provided an invaluable interconnection between separate elements of the arts. As with the association between Lawren Harris and architect John Lyle, the club facilitated a connection between A.J. Casson and Gordon Adamson, another prominent name in Toronto’s architectural history. Adamson’s works in the International Style helped bring Toronto into the modern era via a mix of commercial buildings and residential designs such as Rosedale’s Hobbs Sun House. Adamson and Casson cultivated a long friendship, and Adamson received this work (along with two wonderful oil sketches, lots 103 and 104 in Heffel’s fall 2024 live auction) directly from the artist.

Produced during his time with the Group of Seven, this drawing showcases Casson’s deft skills as a draughtsman. The imagery of rural architecture is central for the artist, found in many of his most famous and beloved drawings, watercolours and paintings. Here, Casson skilfully captures intimate qualities of the scene, producing a warm and tranquil vision of pastoral Ontario.