Sold for: $67,250

PROVENANCE
Dominion Gallery, Montreal
An Important Private Collection, Vancouver

E.J. Hughes often painted Crofton, a small town not far from his home in Duncan, on eastern Vancouver Island. Here he depicts the Crofton Old School Museum. Set in a former one-room schoolhouse on the town’s waterfront, it contains displays based on the history of Crofton and the surrounding area, including the industries of mining and forestry.

In 1991, Hughes turned from painting in oil to watercolour, referencing the plein air graphite sketches he had made over many years, annotated by field notes or colour maps he drew on separate sheets of paper. Hughes was a master of watercolour, as seen in this striking work. He varied his washes from transparent, as in the pale turquoise sky, to dense, as in the richly coloured schoolhouse and the dark foliage of the evergreen. This is a strong composition full of charming details, such as the sailboat to the right of the museum, the Canadian flag, and the cars at the bottom of the hill by the dock. The blooming plants around the museum and the patterning of small white flowers twinkling in the grass give warmth to the scene. Across from Crofton rise the hills of Saltspring Island, and the billowing cumulus clouds hovering above them add a dreamy feeling to this bucolic setting.

Consignor proceeds will benefit Ballet BC, Food Stash Foundation and the YMCA of Greater Vancouver.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars