A pair of mallards drop low over a half-thawed pond, the drake’s head catching the light as he banks in behind the hen. A wide pan of ice still holds against the dark open water below them, and the far bank is lined with birches gone red-budded with the start of spring. Cattails and dry marsh grass frame the near shore, their reflections breaking across the surface. While widely celebrated for his pure landscapes, Panabaker frequently incorporated birds and wildlife into his scenes in response to the growing appreciation he realized from his collectors.
About Frank Panabaker
Frank Panabaker (1904–1992) was born in Hespeler, Ontario, and trained under the painter McGillivray Knowles before continuing his studies at the Ontario College of Art and New York’s Grand Central School of Art. He exhibited professionally from 1927 onward and was one of the few Canadian artists of his era able to support himself entirely through his painting, including during the Depression. A work of his was chosen by Sara Delano Roosevelt as a gift for her son, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and hung in the White House for years. He was named an Associate of the Royal Canadian Academy, served as a trustee of the National Gallery of Canada, and was inducted into the Hamilton Gallery of Distinction in 1996. Panabaker worked apart from the Group of Seven, calling himself instead “the Group of One.”
Artwork Details
- Artist: Frank Panabaker
- Title: Spring Thaw Mallards
- Medium: Oil on Panel
- Size: 18″ h × 24″ w
- Subject: Waterfowl, Spring Thaw
- Style: Canadiana
- Art Category: Original
- Framing: Original period frame
Care and Display
Keep this painting out of direct sunlight and away from humidity or heating vents, and dust the surface only with a soft, dry brush.
Framing and Shipping
The painting is presented in a gold and black gallery frame with a soft ivory mat, with outside dimensions of approximately 24.5″ h × 31″ w. It arrives ready to hang. We pack and crate historical works of this kind for shipping, or can arrange local pickup in Ancaster, Ontario. Contact us if you would like a virtual placement of this piece on your own wall before you commit.
See more of Frank Panabaker’s work on his artist biography page.
