William Kurelek, CM, RCA
Born Whitford, Alberta, 1927Died Toronto, Ontario, 1977
A well-known Canadian artist, William Kurelek was born into the Ukrainian immigrant community of Whitford, Alberta. As a young boy he was surrounded by the prairie landscape and the Great Depression, and many of his paintings reflect rural life during those difficult years. Kurelek was also heavily influenced by his early Ukranian homesteading life and the struggle that exists between people and the landscapes in which they lived.
This painting of the family farm near Willingdon, Alberta, recalls Kurelek's prairie roots and features the artist as a young boy carrying a pail and accompanied by his sister, Nancy, gathering flowers. Dr. Ehor Gauk, a friend of the artist, donated the painting to the University of Alberta Museums Art Collection. Initially unsure of the intense color, Dr. Gauk later noted, "this is a true Alberta scene, and over the years I have noticed that the spring fields are truly this green colour."
