The Canada Auction

June 0409, 2022
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LOT 28

Lot 28

ARTHUR LISMER, O.S.A., R.C.A. (1885-1969)

ARTHUR LISMER, O.S.A., R.C.A. (1885-1969)
Lot 28 Details
ARTHUR LISMER, O.S.A., R.C.A. (1885-1969)

STARFISH AND SEAWEED

oil on panel
initialed "A.L"; signed and titled on the reverse; also titled to label on the reverse
12 ins x 16 ins; 30.5 cms x 40.6 cms

Estimate $14,000-$18,000

Realised: $16,200
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
ARTHUR LISMER, O.S.A., R.C.A. (1885-1969)
  • ARTHUR LISMER, O.S.A., R.C.A. (1885-1969)
  • ARTHUR LISMER, O.S.A., R.C.A. (1885-1969)
  • ARTHUR LISMER, O.S.A., R.C.A. (1885-1969)
  • ARTHUR LISMER, O.S.A., R.C.A. (1885-1969)
Provenance:

Walker's Auctions, Ottawa, ON, 5 Dec 2007, lot 118;
Private collection, Toronto, ON

Exhibited:

Canadian Group of Painters Travelling Exhibition, 15 Sept - 6 Oct 1957, Montreal, QC

Note:

The artistic careers of the members of the Group of Seven following its dissolution in 1933 present fascinating case studies: Lawren S. Harris pursued abstraction. A.Y. Jackson and Frederick H. Varley maintained their commitments to the subjects they painted prior to and during the Group’s heyday. Arthur Lismer is conspicuous for his pursuit of new subjects, locales, and painting techniques.

Starfish and Seaweed is a fine example of Lismer’s new lease on artistic life and was exhibited in the 1957 exhibition of the Canadian Group of Painters in Montreal. In contrast to the myth and reality of the Group’s predilection for expansive views of the landscape–something to which Lismer never dogmatically adhered–it is a probing look down into a tidal pool on Vancouver Island where he began vacationing in the early 1950s. It is a study in painting informed by 50 years of experience.

It is impossible to look at Starfish and Seaweed without thinking of Lismer’s absorption of new trends in painting in Montreal where he had been living and teaching since 1940, and the modern painting he saw on trips to New York. Rendered simply, the starfish and float are enlivened and refined by Lismer’s use of the butt-end of his brush to draw through the paint. The seaweed is a glorious melee of purple madder and ultramarine evoking the facture of Marcel Barbeau’s Shoreline (1953) in the National Gallery of Canada, and shows Lismer’s quiet confidence to see new things, be unencumbered by his history, and nurture his evolution.

CONDITION DETAILS

Some craquelure. A few small areas of loss of media (left half of painting). Overall good condition.

Please contact the specialist for further condition information.

LOT 28
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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.