Lawren Stewart Harris
ALC BCSFA CGP FCA G7 OSA RPS TPG
1885 - 1970
Canadian
Mt. Charlton & Unwin, Maligne Lake, Jasper
oil on board, 1924
signed and on verso signed and titled twice
10 1/2 x 13 7/8 in, 26.7 x 35.2 cm
Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave
PROVENANCE
Collection of the Artist
Acquired directly from the Artist by a Private Collection, Vancouver, circa 1940
Masters Gallery Ltd., Calgary
An Important Canadian Collection
EXHIBITED
Masters Gallery Ltd., Lawren Harris: Works from Private Collections, October 22 – November 1, 2016
This 1924 oil-on-board sketch is a bold and radiant example of Lawren Harris’s iconic mountain forms, exemplifying his clarity of vision and prowess of execution. Harris’s mountain works are among his most identifiable and impressive subjects, and works like Mt. Charlton & Unwin, Maligne Lake, Jasper, from his first visit to the Canadian Rockies, capture a phase of important stylistic development. As with his Lake Superior works from the same year, these paintings see Harris pushing his approach of abstracting natural forms and honing his compositions to potent representations of the essential elements he found in the increasingly austere and dramatic areas he was exploring. The result of this artistic evolution was to place Harris at the forefront of painting in Canada and secure his inclusion in the international modern art movement, to which he was enthusiastically attuned.
After arriving in Jasper in July 1924 and settling in at the Jasper Park Lodge, Harris, accompanied by fellow Group of Seven member A.Y. Jackson, ventured out into the wilds of the park to explore the diverse potential that its abundance could inspire in art. The artists’ first major excursion was to Maligne Lake, the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies. Jackson and Harris traveled by canoe down its 22 kilometre length, stopping to paint the towering peaks along their journey.
It is from a spot at the northern end of the Narrows, midway down the lake, that the artists paused to paint this view of the peaks of Mount Unwin (on the right) and Mount Charlton (on the left). A likely site for one of their camps, there is a large gravel delta where a stream enters the lake on the east side. From there, this glorious view of the mountains and glacier provided both Jackson and Harris with inspiration for sketching, resulting in a rare and exciting example of matching compositions from the artists (Jackson’s sketch entitled Maligne Lake is in a private collection).
In this painting we find massive mountain peaks bathed in the evening light, bringing a warmth that distinguishes the composition from many of Harris’s other works from this region. The depiction presents a harmonious combination of complementary colours and geometric simplifications, crystallizing a tranquil moment in this rugged land. Harris has clearly highlighted the light falling on the upper peaks, illuminating the snow in a pale cream colour and the exposed rock faces with a glowing ochre. These colours are elegantly balanced with the cooler hues of ultramarine and purple in the shadows and the brilliant blue in the sky, all anchored by the range of dark greens and teal in the lower elevations and lake. The outcome, a heightened yet faithful representation of the subject, is an effective demonstration of Harris’s belief at the time that nature’s majesty was the ultimate source for artistic expression.
Works from this trip would provide a rich trove of material for Harris to work on when he returned to Toronto, resulting in several of his most grand and celebrated canvases. Further, the inspiration and fascination that this trip catalyzed would fuel a lifetime of artistic expression of mountain forms and their underlying spirit, transcending his landscape painting and shaping much of his abstract endeavors to come.
We thank Alec Blair, Director/Lead Researcher, Lawren S. Harris Inventory Project, for contributing the above essay. Listen Stop
Estimate: $250,000 - $350,000 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.
ALC BCSFA CGP FCA G7 OSA RPS TPG
1885 - 1970
Canadian
Mt. Charlton & Unwin, Maligne Lake, Jasper
oil on board, 1924
signed and on verso signed and titled twice
10 1/2 x 13 7/8 in, 26.7 x 35.2 cm
Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave
PROVENANCE
Collection of the Artist
Acquired directly from the Artist by a Private Collection, Vancouver, circa 1940
Masters Gallery Ltd., Calgary
An Important Canadian Collection
EXHIBITED
Masters Gallery Ltd., Lawren Harris: Works from Private Collections, October 22 – November 1, 2016
This 1924 oil-on-board sketch is a bold and radiant example of Lawren Harris’s iconic mountain forms, exemplifying his clarity of vision and prowess of execution. Harris’s mountain works are among his most identifiable and impressive subjects, and works like Mt. Charlton & Unwin, Maligne Lake, Jasper, from his first visit to the Canadian Rockies, capture a phase of important stylistic development. As with his Lake Superior works from the same year, these paintings see Harris pushing his approach of abstracting natural forms and honing his compositions to potent representations of the essential elements he found in the increasingly austere and dramatic areas he was exploring. The result of this artistic evolution was to place Harris at the forefront of painting in Canada and secure his inclusion in the international modern art movement, to which he was enthusiastically attuned.
After arriving in Jasper in July 1924 and settling in at the Jasper Park Lodge, Harris, accompanied by fellow Group of Seven member A.Y. Jackson, ventured out into the wilds of the park to explore the diverse potential that its abundance could inspire in art. The artists’ first major excursion was to Maligne Lake, the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies. Jackson and Harris traveled by canoe down its 22 kilometre length, stopping to paint the towering peaks along their journey.
It is from a spot at the northern end of the Narrows, midway down the lake, that the artists paused to paint this view of the peaks of Mount Unwin (on the right) and Mount Charlton (on the left). A likely site for one of their camps, there is a large gravel delta where a stream enters the lake on the east side. From there, this glorious view of the mountains and glacier provided both Jackson and Harris with inspiration for sketching, resulting in a rare and exciting example of matching compositions from the artists (Jackson’s sketch entitled Maligne Lake is in a private collection).
In this painting we find massive mountain peaks bathed in the evening light, bringing a warmth that distinguishes the composition from many of Harris’s other works from this region. The depiction presents a harmonious combination of complementary colours and geometric simplifications, crystallizing a tranquil moment in this rugged land. Harris has clearly highlighted the light falling on the upper peaks, illuminating the snow in a pale cream colour and the exposed rock faces with a glowing ochre. These colours are elegantly balanced with the cooler hues of ultramarine and purple in the shadows and the brilliant blue in the sky, all anchored by the range of dark greens and teal in the lower elevations and lake. The outcome, a heightened yet faithful representation of the subject, is an effective demonstration of Harris’s belief at the time that nature’s majesty was the ultimate source for artistic expression.
Works from this trip would provide a rich trove of material for Harris to work on when he returned to Toronto, resulting in several of his most grand and celebrated canvases. Further, the inspiration and fascination that this trip catalyzed would fuel a lifetime of artistic expression of mountain forms and their underlying spirit, transcending his landscape painting and shaping much of his abstract endeavors to come.
We thank Alec Blair, Director/Lead Researcher, Lawren S. Harris Inventory Project, for contributing the above essay. Listen Stop
Estimate: $250,000 - $350,000 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.
