Description:

Arthur Lismer (British/Canadian, 1885-1969) , "On the Sackville River", 1919, oil on board, signed lower left, pencil-titled and inscribed "To M. Rosenberg / from / AL / Halifax 1919" en verso, 9 in. x 12 in., framed. Provenance: Property of the Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL, sold to benefit their Collections, Care and Acquisitions Fund. “[A]rt is the normal and rightful heritage of every individual” – Arthur Lismer Note: The painting offered here, entitled “On the Sackville River,” by Arthur Lismer (one of the founding members of the Canadian artist collective The Group of Seven) depicts an expressionist landscape rendered with thick, dramatic brushstrokes. In the center of the work a burst of red and orange foliage saturates the foreground, obscuring the view of the shore and buildings in the background where one can almost discern the steeple and shape of a church. The composition, highly focused on the central blaze-like flare of oranges and reds, is visually reminiscent of the Halifax Explosion which took place two years prior - its wild, uncontrolled blast consuming the surrounding shores. The explosion, a momentous event that resulted from the collision of the SS Mont-Blanc, carrying explosives, and the SS Imo, a Norwegian relief vessel, decimated nearly all buildings within a half mile radius of the blast in Halifax Harbour. Over 2,000 people were killed with about 9,000 injured. Lismer, who fortuitously stayed home in Bedford on that day, avoided the disastrous melee and wrecked train on which he would have ridden. He later completed a series of sketches of the destroyed harbour and surrounding areas from the event, which were published in the Canadian Courier and in the Stanley K. Smith book Drama of the City. Such a significant occurrence undoubtedly left an indelible mark on Lismer’s psyche, and one wonders if the haunting memories of that devastating time are impressed upon this scene. Inscribed en verso, this painting is dedicated by Lismer to his friend and colleague - “To H. M. Rosenberg from AL.” Artist Henry Mortikar Rosenberg was the principal of the Victoria School of Art and Design (now the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design) until 1910. The explosion and the creation of this painting happened during Lismer’s own tenure as the school’s principal from 1916-1919. The painting was later donated, along with Rosenberg’s own extensive collection of works, to the Mobile Museum of Art. Ref.: Cronin, Ray. “When the War Came Home.” Halifax Magazine. Nov. 28, 2017, www.halifaxmag.com. Accessed July 27, 2021

  • Condition: Condition is NOT stated in the description of the lot. The absence of a condition report does not indicate the lot is free of damage or condition issues. Available Condition Reports will appear as an additional image. Condition Reports and photographs may be requested on items until the Wednesday prior to the auction. Bid accordingly. All sales are final, no returns are accepted on the basis of condition.

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September 18, 2021 11:00 AM CDT
New Orleans, LA, US

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