Canadian Fine Art Auction

May 26, 2014

LOT 44

Lot 44

WALTER JOSEPH PHILLIPS, R.C.A.

WALTER JOSEPH PHILLIPS, R.C.A.
Lot 44 Details
WALTER JOSEPH PHILLIPS, R.C.A.

YORK BOAT ON LAKE WINNIPEG, 1930

woodcut
signed and titled in pencil in the lower margin, and signed in the print with the artist’s monogramme
Sheet 11.5 ins x 15.25 ins; 26 cms x 34.9 cms

Estimate $15,000-$20,000

Realised: $35,400
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Literature:

Duncan Campbell Scott, Walter J. Phillips (Canadian Artists Series), The Ryerson Press, Toronto, n.d., page 41, reproduced.

Roger Boulet, The Tranquility and the Turbulence: The Life and Works of Walter J. Phillips, M.B. Loates, Markham, 1981, frontispiece, page 113 and page 133 for York Boat on Lake Winnipeg, reproduced in colour.

Patricia Ainslie, Images of the Land: Canadian Block Prints 1919-1945, Glenbow Museum, Calgary, 1984, page 40, cat. no 137 for York Boat on Lake Winnipeg, reproduced in color.

Nancy Green, Kate Rutherford and Toni Tomlinson, Walter J. Phillips, Pomegranate, Portland, Oregon, 2013, page 30 for York Boat on Lake Winnipeg, reproduced in colour.

Note:

The title of Roger Boulet’s monograph was drawn from Phillips’ remark: ”Water is the most expressive element in nature. It responds to every mood from tranquility to turbulence” and indeed many of the artist’s best known works include water as a kind of mood gauge.

Kate Rutherford observes that while so many of Phillips’ compositions could be viewed as objective - depicting things as they could be seen in real life - York Boat is an exception. According to Rutherford, the artist’s great grand-daughter, York Boat “portrays the frustration and energy of the boatmen fighting the winds, and the active, swirling water adds a sublime aspect to the piece.”

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 44
×

About Condition Ratings

  • 5 Stars: Excellent - No discernable damage, flaws or imperfections
  • 4 Stars: Very Good - Minor flaws or imperfections visible only under close inspection using specialised instruments or black light
  • 3 Stars: Good - Minor flaws visible upon inspection under standard lighting
  • 2 Stars: Fair - Exhibits flaws or damage that may draw the eye under standard lighting
  • 1 Star: Poor - Flaws or damage immediately apparent under standard lighting (examples: missing components, rips, broken glass, damaged surfaces, etc.)

Note: Condition ratings and condition details are the subjective opinions of our specialists and should be used as a guide only. Waddington’s uses due care when preparing condition details, however, our staff are not professional restorers or conservators. Condition details and reports are not warranties and each lot is sold “as is” in accordance with the buyer’s terms and conditions of sale. In all cases the prospective purchaser is responsible for inspecting the property themselves prior to placing a bid.