Tom Thomson’s The West Wind will not be on display for the next few months as it undergoes conservation treatment to address its aging varnish.
The AGO’s Conservation and Curatorial team will examine and treat the painting. The varnish was applied some 40 years ago, and will need to be removed and replaced with a stable varnish that will improve its appearance.
The treatment will ensure the condition of the work is maintained for generations to come. We anticipate it will be back on view sometime this fall. Due to the materials and scope of the work involved, the treatment will take place in the AGO’s Conservation Studio.
One of the AGO’s most prized Canadian works of art, The West Wind was recently included in the international touring exhibition Painting Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven, travelling to London (England), Norway, The Netherlands and Kleinburg, Ontario. It was gifted to the Gallery in 1926 from the Canadian Club of Toronto.