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WM Jean’s House at Corner of the Beach by Doris Jean McCarthy

Artwork by Doris Jean McCarthy, WM Jean’s House at Corner of the Beach

Doris McCarthy
WM Jean’s House at Corner of the Beach

oil on board
signed lower right; signed, titled, dated 1952 and inscribed “520806” on the reverse
11.5 x 13.75 ins ( 29.2 x 34.9 cms )

Auction Estimate: $7,000.00$5,000.00 - $7,000.00

Price Realized $5,290.00
Sale date: November 22nd 2016

Provenance:
Acquired directly from the artist
By descent to the current Private Collection, Calgary
Literature:
Doris McCarthy, “A Fool In Paradise: An Artist’s Early Life”, Toronto, 1990, pages 250 - 51
In the autobiography of her early career, Doris McCarthy writes of the time that her and fellow artists enjoyed stays at the Gaspé home of Liza and Willie Jean, “Jersey Island stock like many of the coastal families, English-speaking with a French lilt.” It was a place of artistic expression and socializing, McCarthy recalling that the meals were beautiful and that before leaving on painting excursions for the day, the Jeans would pack lunches for the artists which were “works of art.” The day would traditionally begin with a dip in the ocean (the property faced the sea), followed by breakfast before “the cars were packed and we took off” for a day of sketching. It was the evening to which McCarthy greatly looked forward, as the building on the left side of the composition, Willie Jean’s toolshed, was used as a studio with the day’s work on display for discussion and criticism. The painter remembered breathlessly awaiting the thoughts of Bobs Cogill Haworth as she looked over McCarthy’s output for the day as the young painter “cared more for her opinion than for all the others.” Painted with intimacy and detail, McCarthy’s love for the home and the community is instantly perceived in this work. A gift of Doris McCarthy to the Jeans, the painting has remained in the family until this offering.

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Doris Jean McCarthy
(1910 - 2010) RCA, OSA

Current SalesHighlightsWatch Artist

Born in Calgary, Alberta, McCarthy attended the Ontario College of Art from 1926–1930 where she was awarded various scholarships and prizes. She became a teacher shortly thereafter and taught most frequently at Central Technical School in downtown Toronto from 1932 until she retired in 1972. She spent most of her life living and working in Scarborough, Ontario though she travelled abroad extensively and painted the landscapes of various countries including: Costa Rica, Spain, Italy, Japan, India, England and Ireland. McCarthy was probably best-known for her Canadian landscapes and her depictions of Arctic icebergs.

McCarthy's work has been exhibited and collected extensively in Canada and abroad, in both public and private art galleries including: The National Gallery of Canada, Art Gallery of Ontario, and The Doris McCarthy Art Gallery. McCarthy also penned three autobiographies chronicling the various stages of her life: A Fool in Paradise (Toronto: MacFarlane, Walter & Ross, 1990), The Good Wine (Toronto: MacFarlane, Walter & Ross, 1991), and Ninety Years Wise (Toronto: Second Story Press, 2004). She was also the recipient of the Order of Ontario, the Order of Canada; honorary degrees from the University of Calgary, the University of Toronto, Trent University, the University of Alberta, and Nipissing University; and an honorary fellowship from the Ontario College of Art and Design. She died on November 25, 2010.