Signature of a Pond [Marque d'un étang]

Mostly known for his figurative watercolour paintings, Jack Humphrey was born in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1901. Humphrey was always interested in expressing what he called “purely regional” sentiments. His paintings depict the scenes from his hometown while his introspective portraits deal with subjects ranging from his friends to the city’s children. In his later career, however, Humphrey was influenced by European abstract expressionism and became a part of the Canadian expressionist movement. This work was painted with oil and uses abstract techniques emphasizing black highlights and non-objective figures.