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 052

BCSFA CGP OC RCA
1913 - 2007
Canadian

The Thompson River, from Walhachin
watercolour on card
signed and dated 1973 and on verso signed, titled and dated
20 1/8 x 24 1/4 in, 51.1 x 61.6 cm

Estimate: $25,000 - $35,000 CAD

Sold for: $55,250

Preview at: Heffel North Vancouver Facility – by appointment only

PROVENANCE
Dominion Gallery, Montreal
Estate of Michel Moreault, former director of the Dominion Gallery, Montreal
Sale of Heffel Fine Art Auction House, November 22, 2017, lot 052


E.J. Hughes made a number of sketching trips to the British Columbia interior and was specifically in the area of the Thompson River in 1956 and 1963. The winding nature of the river made it particularly visually attractive, and the vantage point at Walhachin has an interesting history. Now a ghost town, it was once home to an affluent colony of English settlers and was called “Canada’s Camelot.” However, Hughes’s interest lies with the striking landscape—in the contrast between the arid hills and the river with rich growth along its banks, and the dramatic aerial view fading into the distance under banks of clouds. Emphasizing the serpentine line of the river is the railway and row of telephone poles running alongside it; their repeated man-made pattern is the kind of motif that intrigued the artist. Natural patterns are also captured—in the reflections of trees at the calm edges of the river and in the eddies at its centre. The date of 1973 reveals Hughes’s habit of revisiting sketches of his subjects; clearly this lofty panorama piqued his interest again some years after his initial visits.


Estimate: $25,000 - $35,000 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.