signed by artist lower right, signed by subject lower left, dated 2001 and numbered 6/99
31.75 × 26.25 in (80.6 × 66.7 cm)
Auction Estimate:$300 - $400
Sale date:February 12 - 19, 2015
Price Realized
$230
(including Buyer's Premium)
Provenance
Gallery Moos Limited, Toronto
Private Collection, Toronto
This is a giclee of the official Wayne Gretzky retirement portrait.
Ken Danby had known Wayne Gretzky for many years before this artwork was commissioned, making it a vert personal project for each of them. After Danby painted “The Crease” in 1978 he was heralded for making art accessible and for being loyal to his roots rather than following art fads. His passion for hockey, a realistic painting style, and his friends reveal an authenticity in “The Great Farewell.” In 2001, Danby said: “Hockey's in my blood. I was one of the first people to respond to hockey in an artistic manner, so I've been identified with the sport ever since.” The painting was unveiled with Wayne Gretzky present, in 2001, and marks an important moment in professional hockey.
Kenneth Danby - The Great Farewell | Cowley Abbott
