The panel sketch Derelict Pier by Arthur Lismer reveals the artist’s most immediate and powerful response to the scene, capturing the moment where observation turns into expression. Far from a preliminary step, the sketch stands as a work in its own right, where Lismer’s instinctive handling of paint conveys the movement of water, the weight of the structure, and the shifting atmosphere with striking directness. The subject—a weathered pier extending into open water—is reduced to essential forms, allowing bold, directional brushstrokes to suggest the pier’s fractured timbers and the restless surface of the water.

In the sketch, thick and thin strokes alternate to describe both structure and motion: the pier is built through assertive, angular marks that establish its tilt and fragility, while the surrounding water is rendered in looser, horizontal sweeps that convey rippling movement. Variations in pressure and paint thickness create a palpable sense of texture, with areas where the surface appears scraped or dragged, suggesting light catching on wet wood or shifting reflections.

In the finished 1941 canvas - included in the artist's 1950 retrospective exhibition and now in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario - the forms are more stabilized and the composition more evenly resolved, with stronger emphasis on balance and visual order. However, it is the sketch that carries the raw intensity of Lismer’s first vision, making it a vital and compelling expression of the scene.

On the verso is a partially finished sketch of the prow of a boat.