Sold for: $52,250

PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the Artist by Dr. Donald MacKay
Collection of Robert Manuge, Halifax
Masters Gallery Ltd., Calgary
Private Collection, Toronto

Watercolours by Arthur Lismer are exceedingly rare to auction, particularly examples of this impressive quality. Painted in the artist’s larger sheet size, North Shore, Lake Superior was produced in the midst of the Group of Seven period and depicts key Group subject matter. In the late summers of 1923 and 1927, Lismer visited the north shore of Lake Superior with Lawren Harris, who had been painting there with A.Y. Jackson since 1921. Franklin Carmichael and A.J. Casson also took part in sketching trips to the region, and its expansive vistas inspired each of these artists to express its grandeur in their own voice. Here, Lismer showcases his intriguing and active sense of line while displaying a daring mastery of this notoriously difficult medium. Applications of colour vary from subtle washes to deep saturations, all while maintaining a delicate compositional balance and visual strength. Particularly striking is Lismer’s use of shifting intensities of blue to express the depth, currents and reflections of the lake. Notably complete and considered, this work features multiple Lismer hallmarks, not least of all his characteristic tangled vegetation in the foreground.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars