Painted Flag by Charles Pachter
Charles Pachter
Painted Flag
acrylic on canvas
signed and dated “ ‘00” on the reverse; a letter from the artist discussing the significance of the flag accompanies this piece
16 x 16 ins ( 40.6 x 40.6 cms )
Auction Estimate: $10,000.00 - $12,000.00
Price Realized $7,500.00
Sale date: November 22nd 2016
Acquired directly from the artist
Private Collection, Toronto
Bogomila Welsh-Ovcharov, “Charles Pachter”, Toronto, 1992, pages 71, 84-87, semi-colour plates 88-91 for other works from the “The Painted Flag” series
In a letter accompanying the painting, the artist writes: “This painting is about the flag, but also about wind and light and the mysterious feelings that are evoked when the flag is in motion.” Nationalism and a sense of patriotism has always been a recurring theme in the artist’s body of work. Particularly in the 1980s when the artist first began this series, the repatriation of the Canadian Constitution gave the artist a charged socio-political landscape to draw inspiration from. Whereas American counterparts, like Jasper Johns, used the flag as a vehicle to explore formal abstraction rather than convey a sort of national pride, Pachter sought to capture both impressionist qualities of light and shadow and the feelings of national sentiment evoked by the Canadian flag.
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Charles Pachter
(1942)
With a focus on national identity and cultural symbolism, Charles Pachter has emerged as one of Canada’s most recognizable and celebrated contemporary artists. Born in 1942 in Toronto, Ontario, to Jewish immigrant parents, Pachter developed a deep interest in Canadian heritage and visual storytelling from an early age. He studied at the University of Toronto, the Sorbonne in Paris, and the Cranbrook Academy of Michigan, cultivating a diverse artistic education that would shape his eclectic and bold approach.
Pachter rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s, adopting a Pop Art aesthetic similar in spirit to his American contemporaries while placing a focus on Canadian culture. His work reimagines national iconography including Queen Elizabeth II, the Canadian flag, and the country’s wildlife with wit, reverence, and irony. Best known for his stylized renderings of moose in unexpected contexts with his “Queen on Moose” series, Pachter combines flare, vivid colour fields with sharp graphics to elevate the everyday into the iconic. In addition to painting, he has worked as a printmaker, muralist, and designer, and has made lasting contributions to public art across Canada. His mural of the Maple Leaf flag on Toronto’s Grange Avenue has become a beloved landmark. Throughout his career, Pachter has continued to explore themes of memory, patriotism, and modernity. His legacy includes not only a prolific body of visual work but also a lifelong dedication to promoting Canadian identity through art. Now residing and working in a self-designed home and studio known as the Moose Factory in downtown Toronto, Pachter remains a vital figure in the Canadian landscape.
