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 021

OC
1926 -
Canadian

Inside Passage 7/91, Tolmie Channel
acrylic on canvas, 1991
signed faintly and on verso signed, titled and inscribed "Errington" and "7/91"
55 x 19 1/2 in, 139.7 x 49.5 cm

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

Sold for: $37,250

Preview at:

PROVENANCE
Mira Godard Gallery, Calgary
Private Collection, Calgary


Takao Tanabe’s precise titles are intriguing – noted like a navigator who consults his charts to know every aspect of his environment. The Inside Passage is a coastal route that weaves through islands on the Pacific northwest coast, followed by ships and boats who seek a safe route away from the wild weather of the Pacific Ocean. Tolmie Channel, north of Bella Bella, runs alongside Sarah Island and Princess Royal Island, a stunning wild area. Tolmie Channel was named after Dr. William Fraser Tolmie (1812-1886), who worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company, but importantly studied Pacific coast First Nations dialects, producing a book on the subject.

Tanabe’s titles give extra meaning to his scenes - slipping in and out of the haze, they are Zen-like tableaus, but also actual places with their own character. Using a long vertical format, Tanabe here emphasizes the glowing overcast sky, which casts light into the rippling waters in the foreground, and uses the black, mysterious headland to anchor the watery scene. Soaked in the misty, poetic atmosphere of the coast, Inside Passage 7/91, Tolmie Channel is an outstanding work by this important Canadian landscape painter.


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.