Alfred Joseph (A.J.) Casson
CGP CSPWC G7 OC POSA PRCA
1898 - 1992
Canadian
Summer Landscape
oil on canvas
signed
24 x 30 in, 61 x 76.2 cm
Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave
PROVENANCE
The Art Emporium, Vancouver, 1976
Private Collection, Vancouver
Fine Canadian Art, Heffel Fine Art Auction House, May 15, 2013, lot 112
Private Collection, British Columbia
A.J. Casson formally joined the Group of Seven in the summer of 1926, a decade younger than the youngest original member, Franklin Carmichael. Casson had begun his commercial art career at Brigden’s Ltd. and in 1919 moved to Rous & Mann Ltd. There, fatefully, he apprenticed under Carmichael. When Carmichael later moved to the rival firm Sampson-Matthews Ltd., in 1926, Casson followed. Casson would work at Sampson-Matthews for the next three decades, navigating his way through the Great Depression, eventually rising to the role of art director and company vice-president.
Aside from the important artistic friendships and associations the work afforded him, Casson held a deep respect for the focus, efficiency and technical skill imparted by his long-term employment at one of Canada’s premier commercial art firms. He applied this expertise to his artwork in a way few others did, injecting graphic pictorial stylization directly into his paintings. Over his career, which stretched into the 1980s, Casson experienced admiration, renown and success, all while producing some of the most iconic images in Canadian art.
It is important to note that many of the best-known works Casson produced are not from the celebrated Group period but from the years following its disbandment in 1933. A beloved work such as Country Crisis, for example (sold by Heffel for the artist’s current auction record in November 2016), was produced in 1940; White Pine (in the McMichael Canadian Art Collection) and Blue Heron (sold by Heffel in May 1996) were both produced circa 1957; and the indelible masterwork Summer Sky (sold by Heffel in May of 2024) was produced only two years earlier, in 1955.
Casson was a young man when he joined the Group, not yet 30, and he still had many years in which to explore his own distinctive aesthetic vision. It could be argued that when Casson’s career is examined as a whole, it is the mid-career period of the mid-1950s through mid-1960s, when Summer Landscape was likely produced, that marks the emergence of a style that was eminently new and his own. By 1955, his professional responsibilities at Sampson-Matthews Ltd. were drawing to a close, sparking a renewed energy towards his artistic practice.
In this luminous mid-sized canvas, the viewer is immediately drawn to Casson’s expert use of green, a demanding colour that can easily overwhelm an image. Casson became particularly adept in his handling of green, thanks in part to his commercial training, and to his many en plein air sketching trips during his summer breaks. Casson’s command of green is perhaps only matched in the entirety of Canadian art by the vibrant landscapes of Emily Carr.
The far shore in the mid-distance and the towering, architectural clouds above, featuring a deft use of a pink undertone, are fully reflected in the utterly still surface of the water. The bilateral symmetry of the central composition is compelling, with the sky, land and water merging into one unified whole, conveying a sense of infinity. A superb example from a key period, Summer Landscape resonates with a pristine serenity found only in Casson’s most accomplished works. Listen Stop
Estimate: $100,000 - $150,000 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.
CGP CSPWC G7 OC POSA PRCA
1898 - 1992
Canadian
Summer Landscape
oil on canvas
signed
24 x 30 in, 61 x 76.2 cm
Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave
PROVENANCE
The Art Emporium, Vancouver, 1976
Private Collection, Vancouver
Fine Canadian Art, Heffel Fine Art Auction House, May 15, 2013, lot 112
Private Collection, British Columbia
A.J. Casson formally joined the Group of Seven in the summer of 1926, a decade younger than the youngest original member, Franklin Carmichael. Casson had begun his commercial art career at Brigden’s Ltd. and in 1919 moved to Rous & Mann Ltd. There, fatefully, he apprenticed under Carmichael. When Carmichael later moved to the rival firm Sampson-Matthews Ltd., in 1926, Casson followed. Casson would work at Sampson-Matthews for the next three decades, navigating his way through the Great Depression, eventually rising to the role of art director and company vice-president.
Aside from the important artistic friendships and associations the work afforded him, Casson held a deep respect for the focus, efficiency and technical skill imparted by his long-term employment at one of Canada’s premier commercial art firms. He applied this expertise to his artwork in a way few others did, injecting graphic pictorial stylization directly into his paintings. Over his career, which stretched into the 1980s, Casson experienced admiration, renown and success, all while producing some of the most iconic images in Canadian art.
It is important to note that many of the best-known works Casson produced are not from the celebrated Group period but from the years following its disbandment in 1933. A beloved work such as Country Crisis, for example (sold by Heffel for the artist’s current auction record in November 2016), was produced in 1940; White Pine (in the McMichael Canadian Art Collection) and Blue Heron (sold by Heffel in May 1996) were both produced circa 1957; and the indelible masterwork Summer Sky (sold by Heffel in May of 2024) was produced only two years earlier, in 1955.
Casson was a young man when he joined the Group, not yet 30, and he still had many years in which to explore his own distinctive aesthetic vision. It could be argued that when Casson’s career is examined as a whole, it is the mid-career period of the mid-1950s through mid-1960s, when Summer Landscape was likely produced, that marks the emergence of a style that was eminently new and his own. By 1955, his professional responsibilities at Sampson-Matthews Ltd. were drawing to a close, sparking a renewed energy towards his artistic practice.
In this luminous mid-sized canvas, the viewer is immediately drawn to Casson’s expert use of green, a demanding colour that can easily overwhelm an image. Casson became particularly adept in his handling of green, thanks in part to his commercial training, and to his many en plein air sketching trips during his summer breaks. Casson’s command of green is perhaps only matched in the entirety of Canadian art by the vibrant landscapes of Emily Carr.
The far shore in the mid-distance and the towering, architectural clouds above, featuring a deft use of a pink undertone, are fully reflected in the utterly still surface of the water. The bilateral symmetry of the central composition is compelling, with the sky, land and water merging into one unified whole, conveying a sense of infinity. A superb example from a key period, Summer Landscape resonates with a pristine serenity found only in Casson’s most accomplished works. Listen Stop
Estimate: $100,000 - $150,000 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.
