The Art of Canada Auction (Canadian Art)

May 30, 2016

LOT 52

Lot 52

LAWREN STEWART HARRIS

LAWREN STEWART HARRIS
Lot 52 Details
LAWREN STEWART HARRIS

ALGOMA SKETCH, 1919

oil on panel
signed; also signed and titled on the reverse, and dated on an Art Gallery of Ontario label
10.5 ins x 13.5 ins; 26.7 cms x 34.3 cms

Estimate $150,000-$175,000

Realised: $180,000
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
LAWREN STEWART HARRIS
  • LAWREN STEWART HARRIS
  • LAWREN STEWART HARRIS
  • LAWREN STEWART HARRIS
Provenance:

Laing Galleries, Toronto
Private Collection, Alberta

Note:

In 1919, Lawren Harris organized a second boxcar trip to Algoma, which included A.Y. Jackson, J.E.H. MacDonald and Frank Johnston. Just as they had done in 1918, the artists first travelled to Sault Ste. Marie where they picked up their caboose, after which they were taken by train to Canyon, the most northerly point of their trip. After several days of sketching in the area, their caboose was hitched to a southbound train, and they began the return trip stopping at Hubert near the Montreal Falls and at Batchewana, before heading back to the Sault and then home to Toronto at the beginning of October.

The Algoma landscape has an overabundance of colour and shape which Harris could draw upon and this sketch contains a lot of detail. However, Algoma was critically important for teaching Harris how to reduce the landscape to its essential forms. Here Harris has ordered the diverse landscape elements into a coherent whole, aided in the process by the seasonal change which eliminated the riotous patterns of autumn leaves from the scene.

This sketch is probably a Batchewana subject, as indicated by the large dark rock formation that rises up the right side of the picture. That it was painted late in the trip is indicated by the absence of colourful autumn foliage on the hills in the background, seen through the screen of dead trees. This motif was a favourite of Tom Thomson, through whose eyes Harris may have interpreted the scene before him. Harris would use it again to dramatic effect in Beaver Swamp, Algoma of 1920 (Art Gallery of Ontario).

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 52
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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.