Sun and Wind, Georgian Bay, 1916 or 1920
31.1 cms x 41.3 cms (12.25 ins x 16.25 ins)
Signed lower right; titled and dated circa 1915 on the gallery and exhibition labels on the reverse; Varley Inventory Number 1068
made in 1915
Lot offered for sale by Cowley Abbott, Toronto at the auction event "An Important Private Collection of Canadian Art (Session 2)" held on Wed, Dec 6, 2023.
Lot 44250
Lot 44250
Estimate: CAD $70,000 - $90,000
Realised: CAD $984,000
Realised: CAD $984,000
Lot description - from the online catalogue*
Provenance:
Delbert Cummings
Mrs. D.A. Cummings, Brockville, 1954
Walter Stewart, Toronto, 1965
Wendy Stewart, Toronto, 1971
Roberts Gallery, Toronto
Acquired by the present Private Collection, August 1977
Exhibitions:
"Collector's Canada: Selections from a Toronto Private Collection", Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; travelling to Musée du Québec, Quebec City; Vancouver Art Gallery; Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, 14 May 1988‒7 May 1989, no. 75
"Varley: A Celebration", Varley Art Gallery, Markham, 1997, no. 9
"The Group of Seven: Revelations and Changing Perceptions", McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario, 22 May‒20 September 2010
"Painting Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven", Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, England; travelling to National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo; Groninger Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands, 19 October 2011‒28 October 2012, no. 50
"Embracing Canada: Landscapes from Krieghoff to the Group of Seven", Vancouver Art Gallery; travelling to the Glenbow Museum, Calgary; Art Gallery of Hamilton, 30 October 2015‒25 September 2016 Collectors' Treasures II, Galerie Eric Klinkhoff, Montreal, 24 October‒7 November 2020, no. 21
Literature:
Helen Ball, ‘What Ontario Artists Have Achieved This Year’, "Toronto Daily News," 10 March 1917
Hector Charlesworth, ‘Good Pictures at O.S.A. Exhibition’, "Saturday Night", 24 March 1917, page 2
Dennis Reid, "The MacCallum Bequest of paintings by Tom Thomson and other Canadian painters & The Mr. and Mrs. H.R. Jackman Gift of the murals from the late Dr. MacCallum's cottage painted by some of the members of the Group of Seven, Ottawa", 1969, page 21
Dennis Reid, "Tom Thomson: The Jack Pine", Ottawa, 1975, page 22
Christopher Varley, "F.H. Varley: A Centennial Exhibition", Edmonton, 1981, pages 54, 60‒63, 67
K. Janet Tenody, "F.H. Varley: Landscapes of the Vancouver Years", (M.A. Thesis, Queen's University, Kingston, 1983), pages 5, 8 note 3
Dennis Reid, "Collector's Canada: Selections from a Toronto Private Collection", Toronto, 1988, no. 75, page 69, reproduced page 69 as circa 1915
Maria Tippett, "Stormy Weather: F.H. Varley", A Biography, Toronto, 1998, pages 74‒77, 333
David Silcox, "Group of Seven and Tom Thomson", 2003 (and 2011), reproduced page 217, caption page 418 as circa 1915
Ian A.C. Dejardin, et al., "Painting Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven", London, 2011, no. 50, reproduced page 119 as circa 1915
Ian Thom, et al., "Embracing Canada: Landscapes from Krieghoff to the Group of Seven", Vancouver/London, 2015, reproduced page 102, caption page 203 as 1916
Notes:
Born in Sheffield, England, Frederick Varley went to Antwerp as a young man to study art at the Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts and then returned to London, England to work as an illustrator. In 1912 he came to Toronto, Canada where he formed a friendship with Arthur Lismer. Lismer introduced Varley to fellow artists who spent their weekends painting outside of the city. They tried to convince Varley that the most challenging and inspiring subject matter was the Canadian Landscape. Varley, who was more interested in portraiture, took a while to warm to the lure of the landscape, which he eventually did. His best work, however, continued to be his portrait and figure work into which he incorporated the landscape.
Delbert Cummings
Mrs. D.A. Cummings, Brockville, 1954
Walter Stewart, Toronto, 1965
Wendy Stewart, Toronto, 1971
Roberts Gallery, Toronto
Acquired by the present Private Collection, August 1977
Exhibitions:
"Collector's Canada: Selections from a Toronto Private Collection", Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; travelling to Musée du Québec, Quebec City; Vancouver Art Gallery; Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon, 14 May 1988‒7 May 1989, no. 75
"Varley: A Celebration", Varley Art Gallery, Markham, 1997, no. 9
"The Group of Seven: Revelations and Changing Perceptions", McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario, 22 May‒20 September 2010
"Painting Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven", Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, England; travelling to National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo; Groninger Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands, 19 October 2011‒28 October 2012, no. 50
"Embracing Canada: Landscapes from Krieghoff to the Group of Seven", Vancouver Art Gallery; travelling to the Glenbow Museum, Calgary; Art Gallery of Hamilton, 30 October 2015‒25 September 2016 Collectors' Treasures II, Galerie Eric Klinkhoff, Montreal, 24 October‒7 November 2020, no. 21
Literature:
Helen Ball, ‘What Ontario Artists Have Achieved This Year’, "Toronto Daily News," 10 March 1917
Hector Charlesworth, ‘Good Pictures at O.S.A. Exhibition’, "Saturday Night", 24 March 1917, page 2
Dennis Reid, "The MacCallum Bequest of paintings by Tom Thomson and other Canadian painters & The Mr. and Mrs. H.R. Jackman Gift of the murals from the late Dr. MacCallum's cottage painted by some of the members of the Group of Seven, Ottawa", 1969, page 21
Dennis Reid, "Tom Thomson: The Jack Pine", Ottawa, 1975, page 22
Christopher Varley, "F.H. Varley: A Centennial Exhibition", Edmonton, 1981, pages 54, 60‒63, 67
K. Janet Tenody, "F.H. Varley: Landscapes of the Vancouver Years", (M.A. Thesis, Queen's University, Kingston, 1983), pages 5, 8 note 3
Dennis Reid, "Collector's Canada: Selections from a Toronto Private Collection", Toronto, 1988, no. 75, page 69, reproduced page 69 as circa 1915
Maria Tippett, "Stormy Weather: F.H. Varley", A Biography, Toronto, 1998, pages 74‒77, 333
David Silcox, "Group of Seven and Tom Thomson", 2003 (and 2011), reproduced page 217, caption page 418 as circa 1915
Ian A.C. Dejardin, et al., "Painting Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven", London, 2011, no. 50, reproduced page 119 as circa 1915
Ian Thom, et al., "Embracing Canada: Landscapes from Krieghoff to the Group of Seven", Vancouver/London, 2015, reproduced page 102, caption page 203 as 1916
Notes:
Born in Sheffield, England, Frederick Varley went to Antwerp as a young man to study art at the Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts and then returned to London, England to work as an illustrator. In 1912 he came to Toronto, Canada where he formed a friendship with Arthur Lismer. Lismer introduced Varley to fellow artists who spent their weekends painting outside of the city. They tried to convince Varley that the most challenging and inspiring subject matter was the Canadian Landscape. Varley, who was more interested in portraiture, took a while to warm to the lure of the landscape, which he eventually did. His best work, however, continued to be his portrait and figure work into which he incorporated the landscape.
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 Cowley Abbott auction house for permission to use.
(*) Text and/or Image might be subject matter of Copyright. Check with Cowley Abbott auction house for permission to use.