A solitary path / Un chemin solitaire

[English] A solitary path , The Nipigon River is the traditional gateway from Lake Superior to the fur rich Arctic watershed. By 1885, the area was dramatically altered when the Canadian Pacific Railway finished the "Nipigon gap" of the transcontinental rail route. , The first artists, the Ojibwe, left records of their presence in the form of pictographs along the banks of the river. By the early twentieth century, the famous Group of Seven had made the north shore of Lake Superior the theme of many of their most recognizable paintings. Glacially sculpted ancient mountains, their undulating contours punctuated by a jagged coastline of sweeping bays, deep fjords and seemingly floating islands, all bathed in shimmering luminosity, inspired interpretations of Canadiana previously unseen in Canadian art history. , Long after he had left the group, Frank Johnston found inspiration throughout the Nipigon region. Changing his name to Franz, he adopted a less expressionistic, more naturalistic approach to painting. , Learn more about the Group of Seven's connection with the region when you visit the other interpretive installations sprinkled throughout Algoma and the North Shore of Lake Superior. Find these inspiring locations at www.momentsofalgoma.ca. , Drowned Land, Algoma, 1918 , This painting celebrates the rich textures of the Algoma landscape and was painted early in Johnston's career as he joined other future members of the Group of Seven on the famous “box car” trips along the Algoma Central Railway lines. , Mouth of the Nipigon River, 1901 , William Armstrong travelled through the Nipigon area in 1870 as a non-military participant in the expedition to quell the Riel Rebellion in Manitoba. His detailed sketches were later translated to watercolours and often used as illustrations for the Canadian Illustrated News. , Mouth of the Nipigon River, 1901 , Similar to the Group of Seven, Yvonne McKague Housser, was drawn to the rugged beauty of Northern Ontario landscapes. She was particularly inspired by the Nipigon and Rossport area and put her own stamp on the landscape paintings of the region. Enjoy a spectacular view of the river at Lloyd's lookout along the Nipigon River Recreational Trail. ,