James Edward Hervey MacDonald 1873 - 1932

Collection of A. Crawford Kenny, Toronto

Private Collection, Toronto

 

A number of paintings in this sale are from the collection of W. Allan Manford, a Toronto art collector. His remarkable taste, insistence on quality, and determination to uncover major works reflected a passion for Canadian art that contributed to what might have been the finest collection of paintings by the Group of Seven and their contemporaries in the country. We are honoured to be offering works with this distinguished provenance.

This painting is in excellent condition with no apparent issues under UV.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In 1912, when this exquisite sketch was painted, MacDonald had already left the security of his position at Grip to devote himself entirely to his painting.

If his earlier works were based on the traditions of the European Barbizon school and his admiration of the oils of Constable, an entirely new understanding of how to render light and atmosphere in his oils came about when he discovered and absorbed the tenets of Impressionism.

The masterpiece from 1912 was his work Tracks and Traffic, now at the Art Gallery of Ontario.  Like that seminal work, in this Georgian Bay sketch, MacDonald has used an overall grey-blue tonality which unites the surging waves of the water and the ominous storm clouds in the sky.  All of this is relieved by the light on the horizontal areas of pink at the horizon line with tinges of the rosy blush hinted at throughout the scene.

This sketch is a very complex work with a tremendous power packed into it which belies its small size.  Works like this, an intimate, expressive painting of the dark clouds sweeping in over the turbulent water, were a major step towards the monumental Algoma works which would very soon follow in MacDonald's progression to becoming one of Canada's greatest artists.