PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Toronto
Important Canadian Art, Sotheby's Canada in association with Ritchies, May 30, 2005, lot 85
The Collection of Torben V. Kristiansen, Vancouver

Most members of the Group of Seven used watercolour in their careers, but for two of the Group, Franklin Carmichael and his younger colleague A.J. Casson, watercolour was an extremely important means of expression. Carmichael was a founding member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour and, in 1927, Carmichael and Casson exhibited watercolours in the Group of Seven exhibition.

Northern Lakes is a highly accomplished example of Carmichael’s skills as a watercolourist. The work is a sweeping view of one of the lakes in the La Cloche region of Ontario, in which Carmichael had built a cabin for himself and his family. Carmichael viewed the scene from an elevated point and began his work with a quick pencil sketch. He then applied even layers of watercolour, allowing each layer to dry before applying the next. One of the most striking aspects of this work is Carmichael’s decision to show the reflected sunlight by leaving areas of the sheet unpainted. These bright patches across the lake allow the artist to imply the presence of the sun without painting it. This technique, together with the overlapping mountain forms on the far side of the lake, suggest the expansive nature of the landscape.

On verso of this work is an authentication letter by the artist’s granddaughter, the art historian Catharine Mastin.

For the biography on Torben V. Kristiansen in PDF format, please click here.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars