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LOT 053

BCSFA CGP CSPWC OC RCA
1909 - 1998
Canadian

Woodwards Tower
watercolour and ink on paper
signed and dated 1946 and on verso titled and inscribed "from Old Central School Grounds" and "$55.00"
27 x 20 in, 68.6 x 50.8 cm

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

Sold for: $109,250

Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave

PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the Artist by the present Private Collection, Toronto

LITERATURE
Scott Watson, Jack Shadbolt, 1990, page 36


After working in London in 1945 for the official Canadian War Art Program, Jack Shadbolt returned in the fall of that year to Vancouver, where he resumed teaching at the Vancouver School of Art and painting in a West End studio. After the war he was drawn to social realism; from 1945 to 1947 he depicted urban Vancouver in a series he called The Canadian Scene, stating, “I find my full satisfaction as an artist in the streets about me: in the strange façade of a modern city block built up of all the historic hangovers of old architectural styles.” Shadbolt’s early watercolours of urban Vancouver are greatly sought after, and this is an exceptional, finely detailed example. Woodward’s department store building rises in the background—constructed in 1903 in the Lower Eastside district, which was then the heart of Vancouver’s retail shopping area. The big W at the top was a distinctive element of Vancouver’s skyline, and considered so iconic that when the building was acquired by the City of Vancouver in 2003, a replica was installed. In this exceptional watercolour, Shadbolt sensitively captures the atmosphere of this area in 1946, with its historic architecture and bustling street activity.


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.