Canadian Fine Art Auction

May 26, 2014

LOT 58

Lot 58

LAWREN STEWART HARRIS

LAWREN STEWART HARRIS
Lot 58 Details
LAWREN STEWART HARRIS

STREET SCENE (LSH 135)

oil on canvas
with the LSH Holdings stamp (135) on the reverse
44.75 ins x 40 ins; 113.7 cms x 101.6 cms

Estimate $400,000-$600,000

Realised: $1,150,500
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
LAWREN STEWART HARRIS
  • LAWREN STEWART HARRIS
  • LAWREN STEWART HARRIS
  • LAWREN STEWART HARRIS
Literature:

Paul Duval, Lawren Harris: Where the Universe Sings, Cerebrus Publishing, Canada, 2011, page 100 and page 101, reproduced in colour.

Note:

Art critic and writer Paul Duval has given many years of consideration to the work of the Group of Seven and Harris in particular. In his recent monograph on Harris, Duval writes of this lot:

“Harris had a special affection for his major canvas, Street Scene. He felt that while the majority of his city paintings were portraits of specific dwellings, Street Scene encapsulated a total mood of the Toronto metropolis during the early nineteen twenties. In it, he captured the grey, overcast feeling of a metropolitan morning, stark and treeless. One of Harris’s great achievements was matching a theme to a style, whether in town or in the isolation of Lake Superior (see Lot 46)...”

“Unlike other Harris urban canvases, Street Scene stresses a marked verticality in its design, unlike the more passive horizontality found in most of his other street paintings. The penetration of the picture plane by the composition’s deep perspective is balanced by an almost flat passage of the side of a building and the grey ribbons of clouds which weave the entire design together. Stylistically, these clouds are virtually identical to those featured in some Lake Superior canvases of 1922, which makes Street Scene an important transition picture. Street Scene is an emotionally charged and very complex creation, bringing Harris’s urban series of paintings to a dramatic conclusion. It is a landmark in his career.”

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 58
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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.