The Canada Auction Series: Canadian Fine Art

Auction begins to close:
December 02, 2022 at 8:00 pm ET

Online Auction
LOT 509

Lot 509

John Geoffrey Caruthers Little, RCA (b. 1928), Canadian

John Geoffrey Caruthers Little, RCA (b. 1928), Canadian
Lot 509 Details
John Geoffrey Caruthers Little, RCA (b. 1928), Canadian

SHERBROOKE ST. FROM GUY, MONTREAL, 1964

oil on canvas board
signed; titled and dated verso; titled to gallery label verso
8 x 10 in — 20.3 x 25.4 cm

Estimate $7,000-$10,000

Realised: $13,200
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
John Geoffrey Caruthers Little, RCA (b. 1928), Canadian
  • John Geoffrey Caruthers Little, RCA (b. 1928), Canadian
  • John Geoffrey Caruthers Little, RCA (b. 1928), Canadian
  • John Geoffrey Caruthers Little, RCA (b. 1928), Canadian
  • John Geoffrey Caruthers Little, RCA (b. 1928), Canadian
Provenance:

Walter Klinkhoff Gallery, Montreal, QC;
Private Collection, Toronto, ON

Note:

Little painted Montreal’s Sherbrooke Street several times, referring to it as “one of the few really graceful streets in Canada.” [1] Though titled by the artist as having been painted from Guy Street, it appears as if Little was slightly further north on Sherbrooke, more precisely, on the corner of McKay Street. On the left hand side of the painting, the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul rises from behind a wintery tree, backgrounded by the distinctive French-inspired copper roof of the Le Château Apartments—home of Mordecai Richler—and the Standard Life building, painted in a watery blue.

The demolition of Montreal’s traditional architecture was a central preoccupation for the artist. Much of his work attempts to chronicle the city’s urban heritage before it disappears, seen by Little as an architectural “family album.” Sherbrooke Street was of particular concern for Little, who wrote that “it was once like a great banquet table with rich food and rare wines. Now someone’s put a ketchup bottle on the table, a bank that’s all flat and blue.” [2]

[1] Alan Klinkhoff, John Little: City Life From 1951 (Alan Klinkhoff Gallery: Toronto, 2017), 12.
[2] Klinkhoff, 105.

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CONDITION DETAILS

Overall very good condition. No visible issues to report.

Please contact the specialist for further condition information.

LOT 509
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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.