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LOT 015

BCSFA CGP OC RCA
1913 - 2007
Canadian

Near the Forest Museum, Duncan
watercolour on paper
signed and dated 1998 and on verso signed, titled and dated
20 x 24 in, 50.8 x 61 cm

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

Sold for: $31,250

Preview at:

PROVENANCE
Dominion Gallery, Montreal
Estate of Dr. Max Stern, Montreal
Private Collection, Vancouver
Sold sale of Canadian Post-War & Contemporary Art, Heffel Fine Art Auction House, May 15, 2013, lot 3
Acquired from the above by the present Private Collection, Vancouver

LITERATURE
Ian M. Thom, E.J. Hughes, Vancouver Art Gallery, 2002, page 187
Robert Amos, E.J. Hughes Paints Vancouver Island, 2018, the 1993 graphite sketch entitled Near the Forest Museum, Duncan, BC
reproduced page 102


As Ian Thom states, “By 1980, E.J. Hughes was the most important landscape painter working in British Columbia.” Hughes lived in Duncan, on Vancouver Island, and focused on the surrounding Cowichan Valley for his subjects. This outstanding watercolour was created based on a finely finished graphite drawing from 1993, sketched from a vantage point near Somenos Marsh on the Trans-Canada Highway north of Duncan. It depicts the the BC Forest Museum, now called the BC Forest Discovery Centre, which chronicles the history of logging in British Columbia on a 100-acre site with indoor and outdoor exhibits; the site includes a forest with nature trails and a heritage railway. True to Hughes’s customary style, nature dominates the scene, while the more subtle evidence of humans appears in the sign and small houses in the background. By 1991 Hughes had turned his full attention to watercolour, a medium he was a master of, exhibiting fine attention to detail and seemingly effortless washes. In Near the Forest Museum, Duncan, Hughes captures the atmosphere of tranquility that is an integral part of the Cowichan Valley, through the painting's lush green vegetation and towering trees, softly glowing sky and serene marshland.


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.