Joyner Canadian Fine Art Auction

November 26, 2012

LOT 70

Lot 70

FREDERICK ARTHUR VERNER, O.S.A., A.R.C.A.

FREDERICK ARTHUR VERNER, O.S.A., A.R.C.A.
Lot 70 Details
FREDERICK ARTHUR VERNER, O.S.A., A.R.C.A.

INDIANS PADDLING WEST COAST CANOES

oil on canvas
signed and dated 1889
20 ins x 40 ins; 50 cms x 100 cms

Estimate $60,000-$80,000

Realised: $70,800
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Provenance:

Private Collection, Ontario.

Literature:

Dennis Reid, “Our Own Country Canada, 1860-1890”, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 1979, sub-heading “F.A. Verner”, pages 346-350.

Joan Murray, “The Last Buffalo, The Story of Frederick Arthur Verner, Painter of the Canadian West”, Pagurian Press, Toronto, 1984, page 22.

Note:

In the early 1880s, Verner settled in London and travelled through England and Europe, during which time he continued to send paintings back to various exhibitions in Canada. In 1884 the reviewer in “The Week” (1 May, pages 344-345) wrote: “Mr. Verner is well known for his prairies, canoes and buffaloes, which attract special attention. It is said that he astounds the ‘natives’ in England who now take an interest in the wonders and inhabitants of the great ‘Lone Land’ of a past generation.”

Reid mentions that Verner periodically returned to Canada and “…seems to have enjoyed some prominence again from late 1888 until the summer of 1892.” Murray records Verner as having visited British Columbia during this time.

With mountains and water blending together in a haze, the focus of the painting is on the vividly painted groups of figures on canoes in the foreground. Verner's use of fog in many of his canoe scenes reflect his artistic training in Europe, at the peak of Romanticism, when a perpetual fixation with Canadian First Nations had prevailed in Europe.

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 70
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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.