AAM CGP CSGA CSPWC G7 OSA RCA
1885 - 1969
Canadian
View Through the Trees, Georgian Bay
oil on canvas
signed and dated 1938 and on verso inscribed "Mrs. R.B. Coates"
21 x 26 in, 53.3 x 66 cm
Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000 CAD
Sold for: $49,250
Preview at:
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the Artist by Mr. and Mrs. R.B. Coates
By descent to the present Private Collection, Ontario
LITERATURE
Lois Darroch, Bright Land: A Warm Look at Arthur Lismer, 1981, page 104
The Group of Seven painters were renowned for their spectacular panoramic views, but at Georgian Bay, Arthur Lismer found himself fascinated by the growth on the forest floor, depicting close-up views of trees clinging to rock formations of the Canadian Shield. Lois Darroch wrote, “Lismer said his Group friends stepped right over the foreground of their paintings as if it did not exist. He was beginning to enjoy making clarity out of the confusion of twisting roots and random growth, for in the foreground, right at his feet, was where life began.” The twisting trunks and branches of the iconic trees of Georgian Bay seen here tell the story of the gusting winds that scour the area, and of the roots tenaciously searching for footholds in the thin soil amongst the rocks. The screen effect of the foliage is a classic Group compositional element, making the viewer feel as if they are there on the rocks, peering at the partial view of the far shore. With its vigorous brushwork, profusion of growth and a sculpted approach to the central tree trunks, Lismer’s canvas bursts with vitality.
Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000 CAD
All prices are in Canadian Dollars
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