signed and dated 1927 lower left; titled on a label on the reverse
12.5 × 17 in (31.8 × 43.2 cm)
Auction Estimate:$7,000 - $9,000
Sale date:November 20, 2018
Price Realized
$8,260
(including Buyer's Premium)
Provenance
Galerie Alan Klinkhoff, Montreal/Toronto
Private Collection, Toronto
Born in St. John's, Newfoundland, Robert Pilot moved to Montreal soon after his widowed mother married artist Maurice Cullen in 1910, a fellow Newfoundlander. Pilot was captivated by the studio and work of his stepfather, and soon became an apprentice to the famed artist. As well, the canvases of John Constable, Camille Coro and Camille Pissaro that he studied in France were a strong influence on Pilot’s work and encouraged the young artist to pursue a painterly approach rooted in Impressionism.
The pastel blue sky and dappled light on water in the harbour scene of “Lunenberg, Nova Scotia” recall the paintings of European Impressionists. The artist often made sketching trips to the Laurentians, Baie St. Paul country, rural Quebec and Atlantic Canada - in this instance, a historic port town in Nova Scotia - capturing the villages and inhabited towns of these areas with their distinct appearances and charm. One of the many parallels shared between Robert Pilot and Maurice Cullen was their periodic return to the Maritimes, depicting the villages and people who shared their heritage.
