White Figure, White Ground
Encyclopedia
White Figure, White Ground is the first novel by Canadian
author Hugh Hood
. It was first published in 1964 by Ryerson Press. One of the main themes in the novel surrounds libertinism, as the main character attempts to distinguish between libertinism which he despises and an acknowledgment of his sexual being. The story is about a painter, Alexander McDonald
heading for international fame returns to his childhood home in Nova Scotia to confront his memories through his painting.
, Montreal
and New York
during the early 1960s. Alexander
MacDonald, a talented young Canadian painter raised in Toronto but now based out of Montreal, travels with his wife Madeleine to his father's ancestral hometown of Barringford (based on Barrington, Nova Scotia
) in search of inspiration for his increasingly sought-after paintings.
He becomes acquainted with long-lost relatives and attempts to solve the mystery of his father's sudden departure from the town decades earlier.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
author Hugh Hood
Hugh Hood
Hugh John Blagdon Hood, OC was a Canadian novelist, short story writer, essayist and university professor....
. It was first published in 1964 by Ryerson Press. One of the main themes in the novel surrounds libertinism, as the main character attempts to distinguish between libertinism which he despises and an acknowledgment of his sexual being. The story is about a painter, Alexander McDonald
Alexander McDonald
Alexander McDonald was a Republican politician who represented Arkansas in the U.S. Senate from 1868 to 1871.-Biography:...
heading for international fame returns to his childhood home in Nova Scotia to confront his memories through his painting.
Plot and setting
The novel is set in Nova ScotiaNova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
during the early 1960s. Alexander
MacDonald, a talented young Canadian painter raised in Toronto but now based out of Montreal, travels with his wife Madeleine to his father's ancestral hometown of Barringford (based on Barrington, Nova Scotia
Barrington, Nova Scotia
Barrington is a municipal district in western Shelburne County, Nova Scotia.Barrington forms the southernmost part of the province and contains Cape Sable, the eastern boundary between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine.- Demographics :...
) in search of inspiration for his increasingly sought-after paintings.
He becomes acquainted with long-lost relatives and attempts to solve the mystery of his father's sudden departure from the town decades earlier.