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LOT 112

BCSFA CGP
1871 - 1945
Canadian

Brittany House
oil on board, circa 1911
signed with the estate stamp and on verso titled on the gallery label and inscribed with the Dominion Gallery inventory #A152
13 1/2 x 16 3/4 in, 34.3 x 42.5 cm

Estimate: $125,000 - $175,000 CAD

Sold for: $205,250

Preview at:

PROVENANCE
Dominion Gallery, Montreal
Private Collection, Victoria
Fine Canadian Art, Heffel Fine Art Auction House, May 25, 2006, lot 5
Private Collection, Vancouver

LITERATURE
Emily Carr, Growing Pains, 1946, pages 293 and 306


In 1911, Emily Carr left Paris and traveled to Crécy-en-Brie to study with the artist Harry Phelan Gibb. She explored the surrounding area, writing in her journal: “Distant from Cressy by a mile or by a half-mile, were tiny villages in all directions. Each village consisted of one street of stone cottages, whitewashed. A delicate trail of grape-vine was trained above every cottage door…its greenery well tended and delicately lovely.” Away from the big cities that oppressed her, Carr enjoyed the simplicity and pleasure of life painting outdoors and tramping the countryside and towns amongst the earthy people of Brittany. That can clearly be felt in this colourful scene, quietly suspended in the stillness of the warm sunlit day. In the fall of 1911, she went on to study with New Zealand artist Frances Hodgkins at Concarneau, a coastal fishing town in Brittany.

Carr’s time in France and her exposure to the art of the Post-Impressionists rejuvenated her approach to her work, which she wrote consequently had “brighter, cleaner colour, simpler form, more intensity.” Freed from her previous naturalistic style, Carr began to use contrasts in hue rather than tone and wielded a more vigorous brush-stroke that showed a greater awareness of texture and rich pigment. Her new boldness is clear in the warm yellow hues of the stone walls, the vivid foliage and the rich pastel tones in the roof and sky. On her return to Canada, Carr had the artistic tools and assurance to embark on her brilliant 1912 canvases of First Nations subject matter.


Estimate: $125,000 - $175,000 CAD

All prices are in Canadian Dollars


Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information posted, errors and omissions may occur. All bids are subject to our Terms and Conditions of Business. Bidders must ensure they have satisfied themselves with the condition of the Lot prior to bidding. Condition reports are available upon request.