Please note our offices will be closed from Friday March 29 through Monday April 1 for Easter. Local pick-ups will start on Tuesday April 2.
      
      
      
      

LOT 051

ARCA CSGA P11
1887 - 1961
Canadian

Abstract
oil on canvas
on verso signed, titled, dated 12-10-1951 and stamped BAC and indistinctly
23 3/4 x 19 1/4 in, 60.3 x 48.9 cm

Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000 CAD

Sold for: $25,000

Preview at:

PROVENANCE
Masters Gallery Ltd., Calgary
Private Collection, Calgary

LITERATURE
Iris Nowell, Painters Eleven: The Wild Ones of Canadian Art, 2011, titled as Untitled, reproduced page 263


During the 1920s, early in her formative career as an artist, Hortense Gordon traveled to France with her husband, John Gordon, an educator at the Hamilton Art School. They visited annually, staying on the outskirts of Paris to be economical, but taking advantage of the proximity to prominent Parisian museums and galleries. They studied and deconstructed the latest trends and concepts during these trips. It was in Paris where Gordon realized that to develop artistically, she would need to move beyond figurative painting. Cubism would captivate her for a time, and later, abstraction took hold of her imagination.

Great artists such as Piet Mondrian and Hans Hofmann influenced Gordon. After brief stints at the Hans Hofmann School, she gained acclaim in the 1950s, particularly in the United States. She would exhibit in Massachusetts, Michigan and New York - an unprecedented achievement for a female Canadian artist at this time. Abstract, dated 1951, is from this major period. It was abstract works such as this one that ultimately caught the attention of Lawren Harris and later the painter Ray Mead. These professional relationships opened new horizons, and in 1953, Gordon was invited to join Painters Eleven. Gordon broke ground as a female artist, and her legacy as a bold teacher and abstract artist is inspirational.


Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000 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.