Lot 32
JAMES EDWARD HERVEY MACDONALD, O.S.A., R.C.A.
Additional Images
Provenance:
Roberts Gallery Limited, Toronto, ON
Private Collection, Ontario
Note:
The year 1913 was a seminal one for J.E.H. MacDonald and the Group of Seven. MacDonald invited A.Y. Jackson to Toronto, who arrived in the spring of that year. The Studio Building was freshly opened and would become the Group’s meeting place. MacDonald and Lawren Harris also saw a Scandanvian art exhibition at the Albright Knox Gallery in Buffalo, N.Y., which re-energized and inspired them as Canadian landscape painters. In late September, the two went on a trip to the Laurentians. They stayed at Hotel Daoust, in St. Jovite, north of Montréal. MacDonald was very taken with the new scenery, so much so that he scoped out places for a future cottage property.
Of the Laurentians he remarked that “the colouring is very fine. The trees are well turned, and I have never seen such brilliance of colour or such masses of it… I wish we could live in these Laurentians for a few months. They are full of the most inspiring motifs for an artist….”1 Unfortunately he did not spend as much time as he would have liked in the region, so few canvases exist. In this sketch, the rich ochres of the autumn trees and ground cover are paired with the cool tones of the mountains as they recede into the background. Here MacDonald succeeds in capturing nature’s palette that so inspired him.
1Paul Duval, The Tangled Garden: The Art of J.E.H. MacDonald, Cerebrus/Prentice-Hall, Scarborough, Ontario, 1978
CONDITION DETAILS
The work is in good condition, with minor condition issues. Please contact us for a detailed condition report.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and mandated government restrictions, Waddington’s regrets that we are unable to make lots from this auction available for pre-auction, in-person inspection. This condition report has been prepared by Waddington’s as a courtesy and has been provided for guidance only. The Lot is offered in the condition it is in at the time of sale. Any reference to condition in the report for the Lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the Lot form part of the condition report for the Lot provided by Waddington’s. Please note, certain images of the Lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the Lot and may represent colours and shades which are different to the Lot’s actual colour and shades. Waddington’s specialists are not professional conservators or restorers and the report set forth is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Waddington’s. Prospective buyers should bear in mind that this report will not disclose any imperfections which may only be revealed during the course of subsequent restoration. Buyers are reminded that Waddington’s warranties with respect to any property are limited as set forth in the Conditions of Sale and do not extend to condition.