Canadian Fine Art Auction

May 29, 2017

LOT 24

Lot 24

JEAN ALBERT MCEWEN, R.C.A.

JEAN ALBERT MCEWEN, R.C.A.
Lot 24 Details
JEAN ALBERT MCEWEN, R.C.A.

COMPOSITION

signed; also signed and dated “24.11.62” on the reverse
20 ins x 20 ins; 50.8 cms x 50.8 cms

Estimate $25,000-$30,000

Realised: $66,000
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
JEAN ALBERT MCEWEN, R.C.A.
  • JEAN ALBERT MCEWEN, R.C.A.
  • JEAN ALBERT MCEWEN, R.C.A.
Provenance:

Private Collection, Montreal

Literature:

Constance Naubert-Riser, Jean McEwen: Colour in Depth, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, 1987, pages 19 and 39. 

Note:

In the introductory essay to the 1987 exhibition "Jean McEwen: Colour in Depth" at The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Constance Naubert-Riser writes: “Colour and its relationship to two dimensional space is, of course, the subject of all painting. How, though, can a flat surface convert a sense of depth without the traditional devices of perspective and chiarcoscuro?" Naubert-Riser's examination and analysis of the work of Jean McEwen (1923-1999) aspired to demonstrate precisely how the artist embraced this challenge and "revealed the qualities of depth inherent in (colour)."

This lot falls within the early years of McEwen's search for personal solutions to the colour-depth enigma. Others had tackled this quandary, too, and McEwen was certainly aware of the resolutions suggested by American colour field painters. 

Many McEwens from 1957 onward bear titles that serve to situate them within a specific series. Such titles were not meant to act as a reference to subject - though this is often misunderstood by those unfamiliar with McEwen's intentions - but were instead themselves acts of poetry. Composition from 1962, while untitled, is not without its rich subject: colour, freed from any objective associations. But it was also McEwen's ambition to solve certain formal problems relating to depth. Here, McEwen is seen introducing a strong vertical element that bifurcates Composition, 1962 into two cells. The vertical element reveals and emphasizes the layers of paint that support the painting's structure. Naubert-Riser draws our attention to this "stratification of superimposed layers" which the vertical element and the drips along the bottom edge emphasize. Both devices compel the viewer to acknowledge the structure of the painting. The extraordinary colours register now in terms of their opacity and translucence which further enhance our sense of the painting’s depth (and could it not be argued that McEwen has borrowed from the tenets of atmospheric perspective?).

While it was never McEwen's stated intention "to burden his paintings with transcendental meaning," it is quite impossible to consider these works for any length of time, whether fleeting or extended, and not experience something that borders on spiritual.   

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 24
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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.