ARCA G7 OSA
1881 - 1969
Canadian
Steeple Mountain from Twin Bays, BC, Kootenay Lake
oil on board
signed and on verso titled, dated circa 1960, inscribed "F" and stamped with the Varley Inventory #974
12 x 15 in, 30.5 x 38.1 cm
Estimate: $25,000 - $35,000 CAD
Sold for: $25,000
Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave
PROVENANCE
Roberts Gallery, Toronto
Private Collection, Toronto
Sold sale of Important Canadian Art, Sotheby's Canada, May 26, 2011, lot 47
Private Collection, Montreal
On his later trips to southeastern British Columbia from 1957 to 1967, Frederick Varley produced paintings for shows at Roberts Gallery, his Toronto dealer (which also handled the work of fellow Group of Seven member A.J. Casson). Varley’s exhibition in 1957 at Roberts Gallery was a sell-out, and his show there in 1961 was also a runaway hit. Finally Varley, who had struggled all his life to make ends meet, was seeing some monetary success.
In this striking view of Steeple Mountain at Kootenay Lake, Varley used the palette he had become known for in his early days on the West Coast, when he taught at the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts and painted in his studios in Vancouver and Lynn Valley. Using unfettered brush-strokes, Varley applied bright green highlights amid plum shades in the mountains and sky, and he used a range of blues from powder to deeper tones. Anchoring his foreground with brushy trees, Varley then expanded the view out to the far distance through the cleft in the mountains, exhibiting his mastery of composition.
This work is #974 in the Varley Inventory listing.
Estimate: $25,000 - $35,000 CAD
All prices are in Canadian Dollars
Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information posted, errors and omissions may occur. All bids are subject to our
Terms and Conditions of Business. Bidders must ensure they have satisfied themselves with the
condition of the Lot prior to bidding. Condition reports are available upon request.