Winnipeg artist Ivan Eyre (1935–) is recognized as one of the most important and prolific Canadian artists of the twentieth century and the McMaster Museum of Art (MMA) is proud to have 3 of his works in our collection. Here the artist offers insightful commentary on the inspiration and development of one of those works, his painting Plainsman.

I completed a large, graphite preparatory drawing for this painting. The impetus came from a photograph of Samuel Beckett, the famous Irish writer. I was captured by the pose—how his large hand became so much a part of his face, and how his left arm was tucked behind his back. He appears to be in deep thought, while concentrating his gaze.

As I worked on the drawing, the figure changed—losing the Beckett look and becoming a likeness of my late father—Thomas Eyre—a deeply sensitive and thoughtful man. This is especially apparent in his deep-furrowed brow. He admired Chaucer’s work and found mystery in numbers and mathematics.