Archaeological Services Inc. was contracted by the City of Vaughan to undertake an
archaeological investigation of the Thoreau Macdonald Property, which was the residence of
Group of Seven artist J.E.H. Macdonald and his son Thoreau MacDonald. It was at this location
that J.E.H. Macdonald in 1916 painted one of his most celebrated works, “The Tangled Garden”.
In an attempt to re-locate the site of the tangled garden portrayed in the painting, ASI was
brought in to locate a former barn that appears in the background of the painting.
Recreation of barn foundation detail based on archaeological assessment.
The successful identification and delineation of the barn’s foundation has shed new light on
the painting’s perspective. This is perhaps the first contribution that archaeology has made to
Canadian art history. The barn location has also been incorporated into an exciting landscape
design that commemorates the various eras of occupation on the property by the
MacDonald family.
Outline of former location of barn.