Additional Images

Provenance:

Private Collection, Ontario
By descent to the present Private Collection, Ontario

Note:

It is a rare occurrence for a large canvas such as Untitled (Barn) by Frederick Loveroff to come to market and be offered at auction. The artist’s career lasted only 16 years and the scarcity of his work has made paintings such as this deeply desired and coveted by collectors.

Loveroff is most recognized for his observation of light and colour. His style was largely influenced by his contemporaries and his fascination with nature. Writing for The Canadian Collector, Peter Millard noted that Loveroff’s paintings “are crisp, strong landscapes whose chief delight is in their Impressionist colouring. Shadows, which at first sight seem merely darker in tone, on closer examination yield up rich and extraordinary colour.” The deep purple shadows that Millard references are most prominent in the artist’s winter landscapes, and Untitled (Barn) is no exception. This painting presents the artist’s genius in colour by using different shades of blue: the lighter tones to highlight the fallen snow and reflecting light and the deep purple tones to emphasize the dark shadows, sky and barn walls. Loveroff balances this composition beautifully by creating a focal point towards the standing figure between the gap in the bare trees. His paint strokes and colour emulate the stillness and frigid temperature of this winter scene.

Loveroff’s work is housed in the collections of the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; University of Toronto Hart House, Toronto; the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and the Mendel Gallery (now Remai Modern), Saskatoon.

Reference:
Kevin Forrest, The Paintings of Frederick Nicholas Loveroff, (Regina: Norman Mackenzie Art Gallery, 1981).