Paul Peel

A few years back, we took one of many trips to Toronto and visited the
Ontario Museum of Art...

They have a collection of an artist from the late 1800's, named Paul Peel. He's from London, Ontario which is about 70 miles north across the lake from where I grew up. Later in his short life, he lived in Philadelphia and then in Paris, France.
The majority of his work are children in their daily lives. We have purchased and framed a few of these prints. I love the young biologist (bottom). The little guy has a wonderful smile on his face. He stares grinning at the toad, quietly and secretly holding a bucket... waiting for the catch so that he may further inspect.

The images are "After the bath" (1890), "The Modest Model" (1889), "The young Botanist" (1888-1890), and "The Young Biologist" (1891)



On a separate but similar note:

November 11, Veterans Day in the U.S. is nearly upon us. ("observe one minute’s silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month each year to remember those who died or suffered for us.. ". :On Nov. 11, 1918, at exactly 11 a.m., the guns fell silent on the Western Front. World War I had officially ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month").

Paul Peel painted a picture called "The Beach at Normandy". It was painted in 1887 where he vacationed with his family at Étaples France. Anytime I see or think of this photo, I don't think of it at all, but instead of the 150,000 men who stormed the beaches there, 58 years later. Considering the location of Etaples and the proximity the beaches that the troops stormed, one would have to think that the beach may be one in the same. I can't imagine what those men went through, but I know if I were in one of there shoes, I would be somewhere else in my thoughts to try to escape the fear and intensity. I wondered more about this, about the men in their Higgins boats, coming ashore, waiting for what might be. If one of those men were from Detroit, Northern Ohio, Ontario, Buffalo, etc. they might be familiar with Paul Peel's work and to escape the rush and anticipation of the sacrifice they were about to make, did their thoughts take them elsewhere? Did they too wonder, of the painter and the lovely lady in white, under the red umbrella who sat and read on those same beaches...