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Item Name: Drawing
Title: Sentinel
Maker: Ernest Lindner
Year: 1964
Country: Canadian
Materials: pen and ink on paper
Measurements: overall: 62 cm x 44.3 cm
ID Number: PC83.1.29

Extended Label Info: This ink drawing by Ernest Linder depicts a twisted tree near a lake. The title “Sentinel” references the shape of the tree as it sits in a position like a guard holding a spear and standing tall. Lindner was interested in the cycle of decay and rebirth in nature and loved to document it in his artwork. The strength of the silhouette is remarkable and from a distance this tree looks as though an ancient guardian rested here. The tendency for humans to find faces and familiar human traits in objects gives this piece character and familiarity, while the detailed lines give history and age to this tree. Ernst Friedrich Lindner (1897-1988) was an Austrian-born Canadian painter. He moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in 1926, where became a self-taught commercial artist. He was soon recognized locally and then nationally. He was active in several artistic organizations. He is known for his meticulous watercolors of natural woodlands depicting the cycle of decay and regeneration. Lindner's work was widely exhibited in Canada and was also shown at the Canada House Gallery in London, England, and the Canadian Cultural centers in Paris and Brussels. His work is held in many important public or private collections. Examples are held in the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, the Glenbow Museum in Calgary and the Winnipeg Art Gallery. The University of Saskatchewan gave him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1972. He was elected a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1977. In 1979 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.