Margaret Thomson (Sister of Tom Thomson?) Oil Painting

This is a nice little 12" X 16" oil on panel painting, signed "Margaret Thomson" and dated "Oct. 1961" on the back.

I don't know if this is Tom Thomson's sister or not. Her married name at the time was Tweedale, so I don't know why she signed it Thomson, unless it was to leverage the connection to her famous brother. Also, I think the quality of this work is much better than examples of Tom's sister Margaret that I've found online, although this is much later in her life (she would have been about 77 years old at the time) and her skill and style may have improved and changed.

Here's an excerpt from an online profile of Margaret Thomson Tweedale.

"From the 1940s onward, each year there were painting trips north to the Dwight area with William at the wheel. Sometimes Margaret’s friends Mrs Halliwell and Mrs Cameron accompanied them. William would read while the group sketched. Helen narrates, “I was visiting at times when she had been preparing panels which had to be readied at least six weeks prior to the trip north. She also prepared knee warmers –knitted sometimes by friends. She didn’t wear slacks so those warm stockings were a must. She wore a coat and hat with scarves tied over it. They painted in any kind of weather—morning and afternoon for two week trips. Sometimes they were forced by rain or snow to work from the veranda of Miss Glass’ rooming place at Milford Bay, Muskoka, their location after Dwight. Landscape, of course, was her only subject matter.”

This excerpt mentions "the Dwight area" and "Milford Bay" Dwight is about 1 hour from Lake Joseph, and Milford Bay is about 30 minutes away. Lake Joseph is indicated as the location for this painting.

What do you think? Do the clues add up?

 

I am not help, I just wanted to say, I like it! I would find a place on my walls for this painting

 

Thanks Marie, I agree. Regardless of who the artist is I like this piece very much and will proudly hang it on my wall.

 

Thomson family seem to have been a very artistic family,four siblings all artists in their own right,Tom,George,Margaret and Fraser.A lot of George's paintings are of lake scenes all in that area Lake Rosseau,Lake Muskoka.Lake Joseph is very close to both of these lakes.Also by 1961 all three of her brothers had died so she might have chose a different location to paint.Margaret Thompson Tweedale is how she is referred to on most sites so I think that signing the painting Margaret Thompson makes sense.On one site I think it was her nice that said she never sold any of her paintings,describing them as like her children,so maybe that why it's hard to find many of her paintings out there.IMO I think the painting you have is by Margaret Thompson Tweedale.