Marc-Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Côté 1869 - 1937

Collection of Abitibi Bowater

Montreal, Art Association of Montreal, 1910, for the similar painting, Le Halage du Bois, no. 95

Toronto, Ontario Society of Artists, Feb. 1910, for the wood and plaster sculpture

Other castings were exhibited in the following exhibitions:

Ottawa, 46th Annual Exhibition, Royal Canadian Academy, Nov. 1924, no. 246

Montreal, 42nd Spring Exhibition, Montreal Art Association, April 1925, no. 401

Edmonton, A.B.C.'s of Sculpture, Edmonton Art Gallery, July, 1975

Edmonton, Sculptures at the Edmonton Art Gallery, July, 1977

Edmonton, Painting in Alberta: An Historical Survey, Edmonton Art Gallery, Sept., 1980

Edmonton, 60th Anniversary Show, Edmonton Art Gallery, June, 1984

Quebec City, Pierre L'Allier, Suzor-Coté, l'oeuvre sculpter, Musée du Québec, May 1991, see p. 78, no. 22, fig. 17, for an illustration of the bronze, and p. 78, no. 22A, fig. 18 for an illustration of the original wood and plaster model

 

 

The Gazette, Montreal, June 29, 1946, for an illustration of Le Halage du Bois, 1924, a painting related to the bronze in the collection of the National Gallery

Hughes de Jouvancourt, Suzor-Coté, Montreal, 1978, p. 116, for another cast of this work, plate 50

The Year Book of Canadian Art, Toronto, 1913, for an illustration of the plaster and wood free-standing sculpture relating to this work, pp. 156-157

This sculpture is in excellent condition overall. There is accumulation of dust in the grooves.
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.

Le Halage du Bois was one of Suzor-Côté's most ambitious works. He first tackled it in 1909, using plaster and wood. Only a photograph of this initial version survives. However, he painted the same subject shortly afterwards, a canvas, now in the National Gallery of Canada.

Suzor-Côté revisited the subject in 1920 and conceived this large bas-relief frieze to adorn a fireplace mantle. The finished bronze was exhibited in 1925 at the Art Association of Montreal and enthusiastically admired. Montreal's La Presse wrote:

M. Suzor-Coté... is establishing himself as a powerful sculptor... this composition is full of movement and action, reflecting a thorough knowledge of nature and a highly developed faculty of observation.