Lot # 141
ALEXANDER YOUNG (A.Y.) JACKSON
ALC CGP G7 OSA RCA RSA 1882 - 1974 Canadian

Northern Lake / Farmhouse and Tree (verso)
double-sided oil on panel, circa 1925
signed
8 1/4 x 10 1/2 in,  21 x 26.7 cm

Provenance:
Laing Galleries, Toronto, acquired on November 21, 1960 for $325
Estate of Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Montreal

Literature:
Wayne Larsen, A.Y. Jackson, The Life of a Landscape Painter, 2009, page 225
Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Personal Art Collection Catalogue, reproduced, unpaginated, catalogue #R62

In the National Film Board's 1941 documentary titled Canadian Landscapes, A.Y. Jackson explained the philosophy behind his oil sketches. He stated, "I like to think of a sketch not as a little picture but rather as an idea for a big one...A close resemblance to the subject is only a minor virtue. You may try to get an effect of light or an arrangement of colour, or a certain relationship of form and time - but what you always strive for is an intensification of nature."
In this outstanding Group period double-sided work, both sides are finished and quite different. The landscape, Northern Lake, is the kind of composition favoured by the Group of Seven - a lofty perspective over hills to water and landforms in the distance, topped by high cloud formations. On verso, in what is likely a Quebec farm scene, Jackson's gestural brush-stroke gives a rough vitality to the scene, and his bright touches of green, blue and red enliven the browns of the buildings. In both works, true to his statement, he communicates the feeling of being present in the scene, his eye having chosen what is most significant in each.

Sold For: $38,025.00 CAD
Estimate: $30,000 ~ $50,000 CAD

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Lot # 142
ALBERT HENRY ROBINSON
CGP RCA 1881 - 1956 Canadian

Moonlight, La Malbaie
oil on panel,
signed and dated 1927 and on verso signed and titled on the board and on the Dominion Gallery label
11 1/4 x 13 in,  28.6 x 33 cm

Provenance:
Dominion Gallery, Montreal, acquired May 20, 1961, for $350, inventory #G3050
Estate of Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Montreal

Literature:
Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Personal Art Collection Catalogue, reproduced, unpaginated, catalogue #R60

Sold For: $15,210.00 CAD
Estimate: $15,000 ~ $20,000 CAD

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Lot # 143
LAWREN STEWART HARRIS
ALC BCSFA CGP FCA G7 OSA RPS 1885 - 1970 Canadian

Algoma Sketches XLIV (Oxtongue River, Algonquin Park)
oil on panel, circa 1918 ~ 1920
signed and on verso signed and signed on the label, titled and titled on the label, inscribed in graphite with the Doris Mills Inventory #2/44, "8" and with the artist's symbol and stamped Dominion Gallery
10 1/2 x 13 7/8 in,  26.7 x 35.2 cm

Provenance:
Dominion Gallery, Montreal, inventory #A1288, acquired May 29, 1951 for $250
Estate of Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Montreal

Literature:
Doris Mills, L.S. Harris Inventory, 1936, listed, location noted as the Studio Building
Lawren Harris, The Story of the Group of Seven, Toronto, 1964, page 20
Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Personal Art Collection Catalogue, reproduced, unpaginated, catalogue #R28

During the now famous Algoma Central Railway boxcar trips, Lawren Harris and the others of the Group of Seven who joined him on those sojourns painted furiously from dawn to dusk, later critiquing each other's work by candlelight. They found "that there was a wild richness and clarity of colour in the Algoma woods which made the colour in southern Ontario seem grey and subdued." Here we find the dense forest has captured Harris's interest enough for him to study the texture and pattern of it in this charming panel. It is a snapshot of a work, a scene one could see glancing over one's shoulder while canoeing on the Oxtongue River. The differing patterns of the trees tell of their variety in both coniferous and deciduous types on the Canadian Shield, and Harris sets one bright spot of accenting yellow against their various greens. The orange rocks on shore also complement the forest greens nicely, and the deep, still, green-black waters of the river, so characteristic of Algonquin Park, speak of fall days and fine weather.

Sold For: $128,700.00 CAD
Estimate: $80,000 ~ $120,000 CAD

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Lot # 144
LAWREN STEWART HARRIS
ALC BCSFA CGP FCA G7 OSA RPS 1885 - 1970 Canadian

New Foundland [sic] Sketch
oil on board, 1921
signed and on verso signed twice and titled
10 1/2 x 13 7/8 in,  26.7 x 35.2 cm

Provenance:
Laing Galleries, Toronto, acquired November 21, 1960 for $400
Estate of Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Montreal

Literature:
Charles C. Hill, The Group of Seven - Art for a Nation, National Gallery of Canada, 1995, exhibition catalogue for Exhibition of Paintings by the Group of Seven reproduced page 96
Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Personal Art Collection Catalogue, reproduced, unpaginated, catalogue #R53

In May of 1921, when the Group of Seven held their annual exhibition, none of the works were purchased by members of the public. Only the National Gallery of Canada bought - the greater masses were not yet convinced. It is interesting to note that Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson and Arthur Lismer left Toronto for Algoma during the run of the show, with an admonition to allow the pictures to "speak for themselves", as stated in the exhibition catalogue - an admonition no doubt underscored by their absence. Shortly afterward, in the late spring, Harris went to Halifax and then Newfoundland, where this work was executed, to sketch. A tranquil and charming work, it belies the situation that the members of the Group were in. Critically derided, they were in the middle of a vocal artistic debate, and while faith in one's own work was always their credo, it must have been very difficult to press on in these circumstances. But they believed, as the catalogue further stated, "whole-heartedly in the land. Someday we think that the land will return the compliment and believe in the artist..."

Sold For: $87,750.00 CAD
Estimate: $50,000 ~ $70,000 CAD

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Lot # 145
ALBERT HENRY ROBINSON
CGP RCA 1881 - 1956 Canadian

Farm in Autumn
oil on panel,
signed and on verso titled on the Dominion Gallery label
11 1/4 x 12 7/8 in,  28.6 x 32.7 cm

Provenance:
Dominion Gallery, Montreal, acquired May 20, 1961 for $350, inventory #F3050
Estate of Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Montreal

Literature:
Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Personal Art Collection Catalogue, reproduced, unpaginated, catalogue #R59

Sold For: $19,890.00 CAD
Estimate: $15,000 ~ $20,000 CAD

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Lot # 146
ALEXANDER YOUNG (A.Y.) JACKSON
ALC CGP G7 OSA RCA RSA 1882 - 1974 Canadian

Evening, Great Bear Lake / Rolling Hills (verso)
double-sided oil on panel,
signed and on verso titled on a Dominion Gallery label
10 1/2 x 13 1/2 in,  26.7 x 34.3 cm

Provenance:
Dominion Gallery, Montreal, acquired December 7, 1959 for $100
Estate of Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Montreal

Literature:
Wayne Larsen, A.Y. Jackson, The Life of a Landscape Painter, 2009, pages 174 and 194
Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Personal Art Collection Catalogue, reproduced, unpaginated, catalogue #R45

A.Y. Jackson first visited Great Bear Lake in 1938. Possessed with an engaging personality, Jackson met people who assisted him with his sketching trips - on this one, Gilbert LaBine of the Eldorado Radium Mine arranged to fly him there. Jackson related his impression of this country from the air, "It was a grand trip...Saw five hundred thousand lakes this morning." Once on land, Jackson took enthusiastic note, in oil sketches such as this vibrant panel, of the distinctive patches of spruce and small birch, muskeg lakes and rock covered by colourful moss and lichen. In his six weeks there, he used up all his wood panels in his efforts to capture the spirit of the country. A fine canvas produced after this trip, entitled South from Great Bear Lake, is in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario. The raw beauty of this vast land inspired Jackson to return in 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1959. It was one of his favourite sketching destinations during this period, and Jackson stated, "Every chance I get I go by plane up into the tundra, into the Barren Lands...among those lonely rivers and lakes."

Sold For: $64,350.00 CAD
Estimate: $20,000 ~ $30,000 CAD

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Lot # 147
JOHN GOODWIN LYMAN
CAS CGP EGP FRSA 1886 - 1967 Canadian

Willoughby Lake
oil on panel,
signed and on verso titled and inscribed "#25" and in graphite on the frame "Dallsville 1915"
13 x 16 in,  33 x 40.6 cm

Provenance:
Watson Art Galleries, Montreal, acquired January 1951 for $125
Estate of Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Montreal

Literature:
Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Personal Art Collection Catalogue, reproduced, unpaginated, catalogue #R24

Sold For: $5,557.50 CAD
Estimate: $4,000 ~ $6,000 CAD

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Lot # 148
ARTHUR LISMER
AAM CGP CSGA CSPWC G7 OSA RCA 1885 - 1969 Canadian

Pines Silhouette, Georgian Bay
oil on panel,
signed and dated 1946 and on verso signed on a label, titled on two labels, dated and inscribed "Amanda I" and "July" on a label
11 3/4 x 15 3/4 in,  29.8 x 40 cm

Provenance:
The Fine Art Galleries, T. Eaton Co. Ltd., Toronto, acquired October 18, 1948 for $75, inventory #7570
Estate of Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Montreal

Literature:
Marjorie Lismer Bridges, A Border of Beauty, Arthur Lismer's Pen and Pencil, 1977, page 55
Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Personal Art Collection Catalogue, reproduced, unpaginated, catalogue #R15

Arthur Lismer first visited Georgian Bay in 1913 at the invitation of Dr. James MacCallum, a patron of the Group of Seven who owned a cottage on the bay in Lake Huron. He returned frequently throughout his life, sometimes with A.Y. Jackson or J.E.H. MacDonald, but more often with his wife Esther and, in early years, their daughter Marjorie. It became one of his favourite places to paint, and he called it "a paradise for painters". His daughter wrote, "If Arthur Lismer had been free to wander the length and breadth of Canada, as A.Y. Jackson did, he would have thoroughly enjoyed the adventure. But I believe he would still have preferred the intimate subject matter of Georgian Bay." In 1946, Lismer was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy - an honour long deserved, owing to fine paintings such as Pines Silhouette, Georgian Bay. With its stark rocks and windswept trees, this image is an ode to Lismer's life-long devotion to the craggy shores of Georgian Bay.

Sold For: $117,000.00 CAD
Estimate: $20,000 ~ $25,000 CAD

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Lot # 149
FREDERICK SIMPSON COBURN
AAM RCA 1871 - 1960 Canadian

The Red Carriole
oil on canvas,
signed and dated 1919
18 1/2 x 23 in,  47 x 58.4 cm

Provenance:
By descent from the Estate of Robert Buchanan Thornton's parents, Mr. and Mrs. (Grace Grier) David Stoddart Thornton, December 1960, to the Estate of Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Montreal

Literature:
Evelyn Lloyd Coburn, F.S. Coburn: Beyond the Landscape, 1996, a similar 1919 oil panel entitled March Morning, The Red Carriole #2, in the collection of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, reproduced page 81, and a similar 1946 oil entitled On the Melbourne Road, in the Frederick Simpson Coburn Collection, Sherbrooke, reproduced front cover and page 113
Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Personal Art Collection Catalogue, reproduced, unpaginated, catalogue #R57

Exhibited:
Art Association of Montreal, 36th Annual Spring Exhibition, 1919

After a sojourn in Europe that lasted until 1914, principally in Antwerp, Belgium, Frederick Coburn returned to Canada. Coburn had enjoyed the sophistication of the European milieu, lamenting the limited art scene in Canada, but soon immersed himself in Quebec's unique culture. He built a studio in Upper Melbourne, Quebec, painting habitant life in the rural landscape of his home township using the fine craftsmanship developed in Europe, but with a fresh eye for Canadian light. His recurrent themes, often horse-drawn sleighs in winter, recorded a life before mechanization. He painted them with endless variations, with delicately rendered skies, under the light of cloudy or sunny days, passing through forests or open roads with vistas. Within this enduring theme, the image of a white horse and red carriole was a recurrent favourite. In this work, the colour contrast between the red sleigh, the blue hills behind and soft pastel tones in the sky and snow is exquisite. An oil sketch entitled March Morning, The Red Carriole #2, in the collection of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, bears such a strong resemblance to this superb painting that it may well be the study for it.

Sold For: $26,325.00 CAD
Estimate: $20,000 ~ $30,000 CAD

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Lot # 150
ALEXANDER YOUNG (A.Y.) JACKSON
ALC CGP G7 OSA RCA RSA 1882 - 1974 Canadian

The Back Yard, Quebec
oil on panel, circa 1925
signed and on verso signed, titled The Back Yard and inscribed "Studio Bldg. Severn St., Toronto"
8 3/8 x 10 1/2 in,  21.3 x 26.7 cm

Provenance:
The Fine Art Galleries, T. Eaton Co. Ltd., Toronto, acquired December 16, 1954 for $100, inventory #5715
Estate of Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Montreal

Literature:
Wayne Larsen, A.Y. Jackson, The Life of a Landscape Painter, 2009, page 112
Theodosia Dawes Bond Thornton, Personal Art Collection Catalogue, reproduced, unpaginated, catalogue #R40

As Wayne Larsen observed, "From 1921 to 1947, with only one exception, Jackson observed the Ides of March by packing up his warm clothes, sketch box, and a supply of blank panels...his destination was any of the small villages dotting the shores of the St. Lawrence below Quebec City." The bilingual A.Y. Jackson, whether alone or with artist friends from Montreal, was a welcome figure in the rural countryside and villages. Although the area was insular, Jackson easily fit in - he knew their customs, the lyrics of their folk songs and the rules of their games. Trudging on snowshoes through the countryside, he sought to depict the warmth and uniqueness of these villages in the winter landscape, from barns to village churches or, in this intimate sketch, a simple back yard, blanketed in sunlit snow under a brilliant blue sky. His snow is a visual delight - textured, blue-shadowed, and layered in chunks on rooftops. Jackson's depiction of this era in Quebec's rural life was one of his greatest contributions as an artist and member of the Group of Seven.

Sold For: $32,175.00 CAD
Estimate: $20,000 ~ $30,000 CAD

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