CGP CSPWC G7 OC POSA PRCA
1898 - 1992
Canadian
Gathering Storm
oil on canvas
signed and on verso signed, titled, dated 1981 and inscribed "Store in Dwight, Ont."
30 x 36 in, 76.2 x 91.4 cm
Estimate: $100,000 - $150,000 CAD
Sold for: $271,400
Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave
PROVENANCE
Roberts Gallery, Toronto
Kenneth G. Heffel Fine Art Inc.
Peter and Joanne Brown Collection, Vancouver
LITERATURE
A.J. Casson, A.J. Casson: My Favourite Watercolours, 1919 to 1957, 1982, page 70
The inscription on this large and impressive painting identifies the location of this rural store as Dwight, Ontario, in the district of Muskoka on Lake of Bays. A.J. Casson forged his identity within the Group of Seven with his focus on Ontario’s rural landscapes and villages, and it was an enduring theme. Regarding the subject of this work, Casson stated, “I have always had an affection for old, country stores. This may well stem from the fact that there were storekeepers both in mine and my wife’s families.” The store/home, rendered in flat planes of geometric shapes, looks like a stage set amid its natural surroundings. Its rose and white hues contrast with a dramatic, stormy sky—a leitmotif of Casson’s—hung with curtains of dark clouds that rise in peaks, echoing the trees below. The scene has a great stillness; the presence of people is felt rather than seen, and all motion seems suspended, waiting for the impending storm. Gathering Storm is an outstanding example of Casson’s nostalgic affection for Ontario’s domestic architecture and his attraction to the power of nature.
Estimate: $100,000 - $150,000 CAD
All prices are in Canadian Dollars
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