CAC RCA
1881 - 1942
Canadian
Late Afternoon, Venice
oil on panel
signed and dated 1908 and on verso titled, dated 1907, inscribed "No. 12" and stamped indistinctly
6 x 9 1/4 in, 15.2 x 23.5 cm
Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000 CAD
Sold for: $205,250
Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Montreal, circa 1910 - 1915
By descent to the present Private Collection, USA
LITERATURE
Hélène Sicotte and Michèle Grandbois, Clarence Gagnon, 1881 - 1942: Dreaming the Landscape, Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, 2006, page 78
During Clarence Gagnon’s first sojourn in France, from 1904 to 1908, he initially went to Venice in spring 1905 and was captivated by it. Venice, renowned for its stunning buildings, palazzos and canals, had also been visited by his fellow Canadian Impressionists Maurice Cullen and mentor James Wilson Morrice. This exquisite pochade (painted on a compact wood panel) depicts the Venetian island of San Giorgio Maggiore and its sixteenth-century Benedictine church of the same name, with a foreground of people promenading on the near shore. In praise of Gagnon’s pochades, Hélène Sicotte wrote, “These small works are meticulously crafted, highly finished and exquisitely executed…In many cases Gagnon’s pochades seem to be the result of lengthy observation and painstaking execution, rather than a quick, intuitive handling of the brush.” Around this time, Gagnon was implementing a brighter palette, seen here in the glowing pastels of the luminous sky, the women’s clothing and the turquoise water. Gagnon’s sense of scale is masterful here – the work is replete with detail, yet also has a sense of spaciousness, allowing the viewer to enjoy each element in this leisurely and peaceful scene.
Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000 CAD
All prices are in Canadian Dollars
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condition of the Lot prior to bidding. Condition reports are available upon request.