St. George Street at Sussex
61 cms x 76.2 cms (24 ins x 30 ins)
Signed and dated 1963 and on verso titled on the artist's label and the roberts gallery label
made in 1963
Lot offered for sale by Heffel, Vancouver at the auction event "Fall 2014 Live auction" held on Thu, Nov 27, 2014.
Lot 123
Lot 123
Estimate: CAD $14,000 - $18,000
Realised: CAD $29,500
Realised: CAD $29,500
Lot description - from the online catalogue*
Provenance:
Roberts Gallery, Toronto
Private Collection, Toronto
Sold sale of Canadian Art, Sotheby's Canada, November 18, 1992, lot 44
Private Collection, Ontario
Literature:
Harold Town, "Albert Franck at the Roberts Gallery," Canadian Art, Vol. 21, No. 2, March - April 1964, pages 64 and 65
Harold Town, Albert Franck: Keeper of the Lanes - His Life, Times and Work, 1974, reproduced page 72
Notes:
"It seems to me," stated Harold Town, "that he has no peers, past or present." Indeed, this fine windswept street scene has few peers among Albert Franck's works. A rare, larger format work, it is filled with the vigour that defines his paintings of houses. St. George Street at Sussex depicts homes in a region once known as Toronto's Greenwich Village, an area at the heart of Franck's oeuvre. "The Village" was once home to Ernest Hemingway, and was a sketching location for Lawren Harris. Franck was drawn to this neighbourhood repeatedly, capturing its unique architectural personality. A handful of the houses still stand, both in testament to their beauty and to Franck's ability to see their timelessness. St. George Street at Sussex is decidedly appealing, with a palette dominated by rich red, glossy black and various shades of white. The buildings are silent in their beauty and yet all of them, even the home that runs off the side of the work, command our attention - as if they were proud sitters in a group portrait.
Roberts Gallery, Toronto
Private Collection, Toronto
Sold sale of Canadian Art, Sotheby's Canada, November 18, 1992, lot 44
Private Collection, Ontario
Literature:
Harold Town, "Albert Franck at the Roberts Gallery," Canadian Art, Vol. 21, No. 2, March - April 1964, pages 64 and 65
Harold Town, Albert Franck: Keeper of the Lanes - His Life, Times and Work, 1974, reproduced page 72
Notes:
"It seems to me," stated Harold Town, "that he has no peers, past or present." Indeed, this fine windswept street scene has few peers among Albert Franck's works. A rare, larger format work, it is filled with the vigour that defines his paintings of houses. St. George Street at Sussex depicts homes in a region once known as Toronto's Greenwich Village, an area at the heart of Franck's oeuvre. "The Village" was once home to Ernest Hemingway, and was a sketching location for Lawren Harris. Franck was drawn to this neighbourhood repeatedly, capturing its unique architectural personality. A handful of the houses still stand, both in testament to their beauty and to Franck's ability to see their timelessness. St. George Street at Sussex is decidedly appealing, with a palette dominated by rich red, glossy black and various shades of white. The buildings are silent in their beauty and yet all of them, even the home that runs off the side of the work, command our attention - as if they were proud sitters in a group portrait.
Most realised prices include the Buyer's Premium of 18-25%, but not the HST/GST Tax.
(*) Text and/or Image might be subject matter of Copyright. Check with Heffel auction house for permission to use.
(*) Text and/or Image might be subject matter of Copyright. Check with Heffel auction house for permission to use.