Canadian Fine Art Auction

November 23, 2015

LOT 68

Lot 68

FREDERICK HORSMAN VARLEY, A.R.C.A.

FREDERICK HORSMAN VARLEY, A.R.C.A.
Lot 68 Details
FREDERICK HORSMAN VARLEY, A.R.C.A.

KOOTENAY LAKE, B.C.

oil on canvas board
signed
15 ins x 12 ins; 30.5 cms x 40.6 cms

Estimate $20,000-$30,000

Realised: $51,920
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
FREDERICK HORSMAN VARLEY, A.R.C.A.
  • FREDERICK HORSMAN VARLEY, A.R.C.A.
  • FREDERICK HORSMAN VARLEY, A.R.C.A.
Provenance:

Roberts Gallery Limited, Toronto
Private Collection, Toronto

Note:

Varley first went to British Columbia in 1926 to take up the position of drawing and painting instructor at the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts. Unsure of the direction his art would take, Varley soon found inspiration in the landscape of British Columbia. Varley was energized by the vast scale of the landscape, the mountains, the ocean and the climate, and embarked on sketching trips, painting the mountains in forms that were almost abstract. Interested in colour symbolism, Varley developed a comprehensive colour theory which he used as a starting point to impart a particular mood to a painting. He favoured a restricted palette of blue-greens and violet (he considered green to be spiritual and pale violet to be aesthetic) which he applied to canvases such as Coast Mountain Forms of circa 1929 (collection of the National Gallery of Canada), constructed almost entirely of blues and violets.

Varley remained in B.C. until 1936, and, except for a visit in 1937, did not return until 1957. That year, he made the first of several sketching trips to the Kootenay Lake region in the company of his close companion, Kathleen McKay.

Although Varley has used the same palette of blue-green and violet of the earlier B.C. works, he seems less interested in giving expression to the spiritual in nature’s forms and colours than to the effects of light. It has been suggested that Varley is indebted to to J.M.W. Turner in his use of sunlight to illuminate elements in the landscape. Here, the play of light on the water below can be seen through the branches of the foreground trees. The composition harkens back to the iconic landscapes of Georgian Bay where a solitary tree stands silhouetted against the water and sky (Squally Weather, Georgian Bay, 1920, collection of the National Gallery of Canada).

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 68
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About Condition Ratings

  • 5 Stars: Excellent - No discernable damage, flaws or imperfections
  • 4 Stars: Very Good - Minor flaws or imperfections visible only under close inspection using specialised instruments or black light
  • 3 Stars: Good - Minor flaws visible upon inspection under standard lighting
  • 2 Stars: Fair - Exhibits flaws or damage that may draw the eye under standard lighting
  • 1 Star: Poor - Flaws or damage immediately apparent under standard lighting (examples: missing components, rips, broken glass, damaged surfaces, etc.)

Note: Condition ratings and condition details are the subjective opinions of our specialists and should be used as a guide only. Waddington’s uses due care when preparing condition details, however, our staff are not professional restorers or conservators. Condition details and reports are not warranties and each lot is sold “as is” in accordance with the buyer’s terms and conditions of sale. In all cases the prospective purchaser is responsible for inspecting the property themselves prior to placing a bid.