PROVENANCE
Dominion Gallery, Montreal
Private Collection, Montreal

Stanley Cosgrove absorbed international influences in his work and, although blocked by World War II from traveling to France, the influence of Georges Rouault can be seen in the strong use of outlines to define his figures. In 1939, Cosgrove traveled to New York, where he was impressed by the work of Pablo Picasso, then in 1940 to Mexico City, where for four years he studied fresco painting with José Clemente Orozco. He returned to Canada in late 1943, and continued to paint still lifes, distinctive landscapes of trees and portraits of women, both clothed and nude. He often painted women he knew, such as his mother, sister, first wife Claire Létourneau and his second wife Ann Dodds. More than a representation of a particular person, his portraits have a universal quality. In Jeune femme, her flesh is painted with soft and subtle pastel tonalities, creating a glowing effect against a simple colour field background with a shadowy aura behind the figure. Graceful and serene of mood, Jeune femme is a sophisticated and beautiful expression of the universal feminine.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars