Alexander Young Jackson 1882 - 1974

Estimate

50,000 - 70,000 CAD

bidding is closed

Description

Alexander Young Jackson
TREES BY THE RIVER
signed with the artist's initials lower right A.Y.J.; signed with initials, full signature and inscribed MONTREAL, CANADA in pencil, stamped with The Paris American Art, Paris stamp and a partly torn Laing Gallery label on the reverse
oil on panel
21.6 by 27.3 cm.
8 ½ by 10 ¾ in.

Provenance

Laing Galleries, Toronto

Private Collection, Toronto

Literature

A.Y. Jackson, Sketching in Algoma, Canadian Forum, March 1921, p.175

Condition

This work has been viewed under UV and there is fluorescence in the form of a faint line of inconsistently applied paint mostly visible in the water area. It is in excellent condition. We would like to thank "In Restauro Conservart Inc." for examing this painting and their original notes are available upon request to Sotheby's.
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.

Catalogue Note

Jackson was a deft hand in a canoe, and although he did not often paint from his canoe, as Tom Thomson often liked to do, he was not immune to the fascination of seeing the landscape practically from water level. This excellent panel is an example of such a preoccupation and it shows a side of Jackson's range as an artist that isn't often seen or commented on.

Although Jackson's title is lost, the location, to judge by style alone, is certainly Algoma, which members of the Group of Seven went to for four successive autumns. Although Jackson was kind enough (and truthful enough too) to say that MacDonald owned Algoma, the fact is that all artists who followed Harris there found great inspiration in the landscape and in each other. They pushed each other and challenged each other. They explored and experimented in ways that stimulated and encouraged each of them. In Algoma each artist achieved some of his best work.

With swift, sure strokes, Jackson has rendered a tremendous panel. It has energy, inventiveness and passion that mark these early works at their best.