CANADIAN POST~WAR & CONTEMPORARY ART - Heffel

HEFFEL FINE ART AUCTION HOUSE 15
8 JACK LEONARD SHADBOLT
BCSFA CGP CSPWC OC RCA 1909 ~ 1998
Country Church, Saanich
watercolour on paper, signed and dated 1947
and on verso titled and dated
15 1/4 x 19 in, 38.7 x 48.3 cm
PROVENANCE:
Acquired directly from the Artist
Private Collection, Ontario
Jack Shadbolt was influenced in the 1930s by the American and Mexican
muralists such as Thomas Hart Benton and Diego Rivera. The emphasis
of the muralists on Social Realism and rural values is a background
ambiance in Shadbolt’s awareness in works such as this. He was also
inspired by their use of solid three~dimensional form, and in Country
Church, Saanich, form is robust and the buildings feel rooted in the
landscape. The simplicity of the scene has a directness and honesty, with
the inclusion of elements such as the car and the electrical poles.
Shadbolt’s use of light and shadow is dramatic, with the sun lighting up
the white church like a beacon of light, contrasted with the moodiness of
the shadows on the road and the dark hill behind. The lone figure
contributes an intriguing note of narrative to this strong watercolour.
It is interesting to note that the 1941 drawing for this fine watercolour
entitled Old Church and Car was sold at Heffel’s, June 25, 2005, lot 46.
ESTIMATE: $8,000 ~ 12,000
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