Rio
181.7 cms x 304.8 cms (71.5 ins x 120 ins)
Signed, titled and dated "/69" on the reverse
Lot offered for sale by Sothebys, Toronto at the auction event "Important Canadian Art" held on Mon, Nov 28, 2011.
Lot 64
Lot 64
Estimate: CAD $50,000 - $70,000
Realised: CAD $152,000
Realised: CAD $152,000
Lot description - from the online catalogue*
Provenance:
Private Collection, Toronto
Notes:
Meredith was a maverick among his contemporaries. He didn't paint like any of them, he was not an easy socializer, he had a taciturn nature, and he was, or so it seemed, constantly uncertain of himself.
Nevertheless, he produced a steady stream of tough, original, thoughtful, aesthetically challenging, and brilliant work. His organizational skills when it came to painting were amazingly sure and confident, especially when he tackled large format canvases like this one. Indeed, he seemed more in his element on a grand scale than in more modestly scaled pictures.
This large painting has to be close to the apogee of Meredith's achievement. It has immense power, a complex but legible and rational composition, a technical assurance that looks to last, and it has an irrepressible joy that one would not have imagined to come from its creator.
Finally, the work has a presence that could fill a very large room with a sense of occasion. Such qualities are rare, but this painting certainly has them.
Private Collection, Toronto
Notes:
Meredith was a maverick among his contemporaries. He didn't paint like any of them, he was not an easy socializer, he had a taciturn nature, and he was, or so it seemed, constantly uncertain of himself.
Nevertheless, he produced a steady stream of tough, original, thoughtful, aesthetically challenging, and brilliant work. His organizational skills when it came to painting were amazingly sure and confident, especially when he tackled large format canvases like this one. Indeed, he seemed more in his element on a grand scale than in more modestly scaled pictures.
This large painting has to be close to the apogee of Meredith's achievement. It has immense power, a complex but legible and rational composition, a technical assurance that looks to last, and it has an irrepressible joy that one would not have imagined to come from its creator.
Finally, the work has a presence that could fill a very large room with a sense of occasion. Such qualities are rare, but this painting certainly has them.
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 Sothebys auction house for permission to use.
(*) Text and/or Image might be subject matter of Copyright. Check with Sothebys auction house for permission to use.