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 134

CGP RCA
1881 - 1956
Canadian

Murray Bay
oil on board
signed, dated 1926 and inscribed "La Malbaie, P.Q." and on verso signed, titled and dated
11 1/4 x 12 5/8 in, 28.6 x 32.1 cm

Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000 CAD

Sold for: $85,250

Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave

PROVENANCE
G. Blair Laing Limited, Toronto
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. William P. Wilder, Toronto

LITERATURE
Thomas R. Lee, Albert H. Robinson: “The Painter’s Painter,” 1956, unpaginated
A.Y. Jackson, A Painter’s Country: The Autobiography of A.Y. Jackson, 1958, page 64


In 1926, Albert Robinson painted this charming work while on a sketching trip with Group of Seven painter A.Y. Jackson. In his autobiography, Jackson related, “For several seasons, Robinson, [Edwin] Holgate, [Randolph] Hewton and I worked in the late winter at La Malbaie. It was a charming little town, and Robinson did some of his best work here.” Out of trips such as this came the colourful portrayals of Quebec life for which Robinson became renowned.

This is a classic subject for the artist that includes a horse and sleigh wending its way up a snowy path—highly desirable subject matter to collectors. Adding to the allure of the sketch is Robinson’s depiction of falling snow, which gives a soft and nostalgic feel to the atmosphere, as if the viewer has traveled back to a simpler time. Robinson used a white-based palette that brightened his paintings even on an overcast day such as this, and his use of pastel tones in the houses is particularly sensitive and harmonious. Murray Bay is the perfect embodiment of, as fellow Group artist Arthur Lismer described, “the lyrical environment of the French-Canadian.”

For the biography on Mr. and Mrs. William P. Wilder in PDF format please click here.


Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000 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.