Lot 69
William Kurelek, RCA (1927-1977)
Lot 69 Details
William Kurelek, RCA (1927-1977), Canadian
ANGEL CONSOLING ST. JOSEPH IN A DREAM, 1962
mixed media on paper
titled to mat; inscribed in artist's hand verso: "but hardly had this thought come to his mind, when an angel of the lord appeared to him in a dream, and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take your wife Mary to yourself for it is by the power of the holy ghost that she has conceived this child; and she will bear a son, whom you shall call Jesus, for he is to save his people from their sins."
23 x 20 in — 58.4 x 50.8 cm
Estimate $6,000-$8,000
Additional Images
Provenance:
Gift of the artist
Private Collection, Ontario
By descent to the present Private Collection, Ontario
Note:
Angel Consoling St. Joseph in a Dream, 1962, depicts the moment of the divine message to Joseph that he should wed Mary and that she will carry a son they shall call Jesus, as outlined in Matthew 1:18–23. A common subject in Christian art of the 17th and 18th centuries, Kurelek chooses not to follow the typical iconography of a sleeping Joseph with the visiting angel whispering into his ear. Instead he focuses entirely on the celestial being, who brightly dominates the composition.
In rendering the angel, Kurelek again moves away from the convention of flowing robes on a human form. Instead, he follows more closely the biblical description of angels, namely the six-winged Seraphim in the Old Testament (Isaiah 6:1-8).
Converting to Catholicism in 1957, religious themes frequently appear in Kurelek's work, often making what art historian Andrew Kear calls an "effort to strike a balance between the expression of spiritual mystery and a call for moral action."[1] While some of Kurelek's paintings can evoke punitive overtones, the radiating warmth from the face in Angel Consoling St. Joseph in a Dream is uplifting and inspires hope in the coming salvation.
[1] William Kurelek, Life and Work by Andrew Kear, Art Canada Institute, accessed 15 April 2024, https://www.aci-iac.ca/art-books/william-kurelek/significance-and-critical-issues/#a-religious-painter