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 037

BCSFA CGP OC RCA
1913 - 2007
Canadian

A Bridge North of Hazelton, BC
watercolour on paper
signed and dated 1985 and on verso signed, titled and inscribed with the Dominion Gallery Inventory #B8066
18 x 24 in, 45.7 x 61 cm

Estimate: $30,000 - $40,000 CAD

Sold for: $40,250

Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave

PROVENANCE
Dominion Gallery, Montreal
Heffel Gallery Limited, Vancouver
Private Collection, Vancouver
Sold sale of Fine Canadian Art, Heffel Fine Art Auction House, November 7, 1996, lot 53
Private Collection, British Columbia

LITERATURE
Leslie Allan Dawn and Patricia Salmon, E.J. Hughes: The Vast and Beautiful Interior, Kamloops Art Gallery, 1994, this watercolour mentioned pages 44 and 45, and the 1967 drawing for this watercolour reproduced page 58
Robert Amos, E.J. Hughes Paints British Columbia, 2019, the 1967 graphite drawing entitled A Bridge North of Hazelton reproduced page 154 and the watercolour page 155


In 1967, E.J. Hughes went on a sketching trip to the Hazelton area of British Columbia. Patricia Salmon wrote, "Over the years Hughes has painted several works of the Hazelton area dating from this 1967 trip. Among these, the 1985 watercolour A Bridge North of Hazelton, BC shows the historic Hagwilget Mission Catholic Church [in the Hagwilget Wet’suwet’en First Nations village].” This fine watercolour depicts the Hagwilget Canyon Bridge, a one-lane steel suspension bridge constructed in 1931 above the Bulkley River. Three bridges pre-existed in this location, the first and second built by First Nations people without engineering training. In an amazing technical feat, they constructed the bridge without nails and screws and lashed it together with copper wire from the San Francisco–to–London Collins Overland Telegraph line. Hughes had a keen eye for detail, and he focused on the interesting design of the bridge, echoed by the vertical structure of the church in the background. His inclusion of cars and trucks traveling through the village reflects the importance of the bridge as a transportation route connecting communities, and the houses, picked out with bright colours, give a sense of warmth to this fascinating watercolour.


Estimate: $30,000 - $40,000 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.