Sold for: $79,250

PROVENANCE
C.A.G. Matthews, Toronto
Donated to McMichael Conservation Collection of Art, Toronto, November 8, 1968
Beaucraft Greeting Cards Ltd., Toronto
Estate of Donald McMichael (brother of Robert McMichael), Ontario

LITERATURE
Ian Sigvaldason and Scott Steedman, Art for War and Peace: How a Great Art Project Helped Canada Discover Itself, 2015, the silkscreen West Bay Fault, Yellowknife reproduced front matter, and on pages 139 and 214

This stunning tempera painting was an original working image for a print entitled West Bay Fault, Yellowknife, produced by the prominent commercial art firm Sampson Matthews Limited during its print program, which reproduced works by well-known Canadian artists in silkscreen over a 22-year period. A.Y. Jackson was a driving force behind the program for its first decade, contributing 12 designs.

Jackson made many visits to the Northwest Territories and was in Yellowknife in 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1957. He enjoyed the pioneer town with its diverse population of colourful and eccentric characters, and it was a jumping-off point for trips into the surrounding vast and open landscape. This outstanding tempera is richly coloured and full of the rolling rhythm in the land that so attracted Jackson’s eye. The contrast between the brilliant white snow and glowing gold outlines of bare branches in the foreground and the deep green, wine, blue and purple hues of the hills is especially striking. This fine painting was originally in the collection of C.A.G. Matthews, one of the founders of Sampson Matthews, and was later acquired by the brother of Robert McMichael, co-founder of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars