Nicholas de Grandmaison
 Nicholas de Grandmaison 1892 - 1978 |
Nicholas de Grandmaison was born in Russia to an aristocratic family and spent his early life as an army officer. His training included the basics of drawing, used for cartography and topography. In 1919 he attended a Russian officers’ training camp in England, but a short time later, revolution in Russia closed the door to his returning to his homeland. Instead, he went to St. John's Wood School of Art in London, and in 1923, he immigrated to Canada, settling in Winnipeg.
Portraiture was his chosen genre, facilitated by his charming, engaging personality. In 1930, during a pivotal trip to The Pas in northern Manitoba, he became fascinated with First Nations peoples, traveling to their territories to meet with them, such as the Plains natives west of Winnipeg, the Blackfoot Reserve east of Calgary and the Stoney and Sarcee reserves west of Calgary. He spent time with the Blood Indians in southern Alberta, who had the largest reserve in Canada at the time and were still much like their ancestors, and it became his favourite place for subjects. He moved to Calgary to be in proximity to the Peigan, Stoney and Blood peoples. In 1939, De Grandmaison moved with his family to Banff, and built a home with a studio there. In 1951 he began to take trips to the United States, first to North Dakota to paint Sioux Indians, then in 1952 to the Phoenix, Arizona area to depict Apache and Pima peoples. He also continued his work with commissioned portraiture, and beginning in 1956, he produced 20 portraits of well known Canadians such as Prime Minister John Diefenbaker for Notre Dame College in Saskatchewan. De Grandmaison's role in preserving a record of the First Nations people of the prairies was recognized by an honorary doctorate from the University of Calgary in 1959 and the Order of Canada award in 1976. De Grandmaison saw his native subjects in a romantic light as independent and proud, and attained renown for his depictions of them. De Grandmaison passionately declared, “I love them as fellow brothers. They have character, color and history in their blood...These are my children, and I wish to preserve their faces for posterity. I shall paint them until I die.” The Peigan Tribe made him an honorary member in 1959, and when he died in 1978, he was buried on the Peigan Reserve. |
Heffel 's Top Results
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Nicholas de Grandmaison Portrait of a Plains Indian (00658/2013-03844) 26 1/2 x 20 1/2in 67.3 x 52.1cm pastel on paper Estimate: $15,000 - $20,000 CDN Sold for: $44,250 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's Fall 2014 - Imperial Oil Limited Charity Auction auction on Saturday, November 08, 2014 |
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Nicholas de Grandmaison John Hunter, Stoney from Morley 24 x 18in 61 x 45.7cm oil on canvas board Estimate: $12,000 - $16,000 CDN Sold for: $35,400 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's Fall 2016 - 4th Session auction on Wednesday, November 23, 2016 |
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Nicholas de Grandmaison Indian Chief 21 x 16 1/4in 53.3 x 41.3cm pastel on paper Estimate: $9,000 - $12,000 CDN Sold for: $35,100 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's November 2013 - 4th Session auction on Saturday, November 30, 2013 |
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Nicholas de Grandmaison Portrait of an Indian 26 x 20in 66 x 50.8cm pastel on sandpaper Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000 CDN Sold for: $32,450 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's Fall 2016 - 3rd Session auction on Wednesday, November 23, 2016 |
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Nicholas de Grandmaison Chief Portrait 18 x 14 1/2in 45.7 x 36.8cm pastel on paper Estimate: $12,000 - $16,000 CDN Sold for: $28,125 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's Canadian & International Art auction on Thursday, June 28, 2018 |
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Nicholas de Grandmaison Papoose 16 x 12 3/8in 40.6 x 31.4cm pastel on sandpaper Estimate: $7,000 - $9,000 CDN Sold for: $26,325 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's February 2014 - 1st Session auction on Thursday, February 27, 2014 |
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Nicholas de Grandmaison Weasel Tail 19 x 21 3/4in 48.3 x 55.2cm pastel on paper Estimate: $9,000 - $12,000 CDN Sold for: $26,325 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's November 2011 - 3rd Session auction on Saturday, November 26, 2011 |
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Nicholas de Grandmaison Portrait of an Indian 18 x 14in 45.7 x 35.6cm pastel on sandpaper Estimate: $15,000 - $20,000 CDN Sold for: $25,000 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's August 2017 - 3rd Session auction on Thursday, August 31, 2017 |
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Nicholas de Grandmaison Indian Chief 18 x 14in 45.7 x 35.6cm pastel on paper Estimate: $15,000 - $20,000 CDN Sold for: $23,400 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's Fall 2008 - 2nd Session auction on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 |
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Nicholas de Grandmaison Piegan Chief 21 x 14 3/4in 53.3 x 37.5cm pastel on paper Estimate: $15,000 - $20,000 CDN Sold for: $22,500 CDN (premium included) At Heffel's July 2017 - 3rd Session auction on Thursday, July 27, 2017 |
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