Sold for: $31,250

PROVENANCE
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Pitfield, Toronto

Frederick Verner is an important artist who helped shape the visual record of early Canada. First Nations people were prominently featured in his work, with respect and admiration. His working method, from a very young age, was immediate and perceptive, at times drawing in situ in the wilderness to produce graphite sketches and watercolours. In addition, he was known to work off other sources, such as photographs and sketches of First Nations regalia in his studio. What is particularly fascinating about Verner’s watercolours is the sheer ethnographic detail one can derive from them. As a visual transcript, they convey the artist’s impressions of how Indigenous people lived, their family groupings, the beauty and functionality of their vestments, and how hunting and transporting goods were vital to daily life. The birchbark canoes featured in this watercolour are a focal point here, quite vibrant against the misty atmosphere. These canoes were essential to Indigenous ways of life, and Verner took great care to portray them with precision, as we see in the colouration and detail of the bow and stern designs. This work is a rare and fine example from Verner’s esteemed body of watercolours.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars