Patinore Pointe St. Charles, rue Grand Trunk by John Geoffrey Caruthers Little
John Little
Patinore Pointe St. Charles, rue Grand Trunk
oil on canvas
signed lower right; signed, titled and dated 2013 on the stretcher
12 x 18 ins ( 30.5 x 45.7 cms )
Auction Estimate: $12,000.00 - $15,000.00
Price Realized $9,440.00
Sale date: November 19th 2019
Walter Klinkhoff Gallery, Montreal
Private Collection, Toronto
Little had a professional history working in his father’s architectural firm, Luke and Little, as a draftsman from 1951-53. The skills learned working at the firm transferred into his artistic practice to accurately portray the city. During the 1960s and 1970s, Montreal and Quebec City were undergoing mass change with historic buildings being demolished for new constructions and industrial infrastructure as the city grew. Grand Trunk Street is named after the Grand Trunk Railway that once ran through the historic neighbourhood known as “the Point”, which has undergone significant transformation and gentrification in recent years. John Little’s street scenes serve as historical recollections of the city of Montreal.
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John Geoffrey Caruthers Little
(1928) ARCA
Born in Montreal, P.Q. in 1928. He studied two years at the Montreal Museum of Fine arts under Dr. Arthur Lismer and Goodridge Roberts. Subsequently he went to New York where he attended the Art Students' League under Will Barnet and Frank J. Reilley. It was also there in 1949 that he worked as an assistant to Mr. Ray Bailley on the now defunct comic strip "Bruce Gentry".
Returning to Montreal he became a draughtsman in his father's architectural firm (Luke & Little) in 1951. He married in 1953 and turned exclusively to painting. His street scenes won him wide acclaim. His paintings of old Montreal and Quebec City streets, houses and countryside were exhibited at the Watson Art Galleries.
During a solo exhibition at this gallery in 1957 the Montreal “Gazette” noted, "His vision is clear and his interpretation of his subjects is solid and literal. His buildings are solidly based, bear the marks of age and are recorded with a laudable attention to drawing. The last-mentioned quality apparently presents him no problems. His figures have animation, there is a convincing sense of movement in the crowds and the impression of traffic congestion in narrow streets is capitally conveyed .’’
Dorothy Pfeiffer reviewing his work in 1964 noted, "Those bemoaning the seemingly ruthless demolition of hundreds of Montreal's gracious old-world homes and other buildings, the disappearance in the name of progress of various little private nooks and parks, and the often callous disposal of dignified stone pillars and amusing cornices will gain nostalgic pleasure from John Little's show, for he had dedicated his painting to the preservation of such items for posterity. Yet so spirited and relaxed is his painting technique, that his work can in no manner today be labelled as merely documentary. He paints city streets ankle-deep in slush, where his not-quite-ripe olive green mixture carpets pavements with a mélange resembling Quebec limestone. He peoples his old streets and secluded sylvan sites with groups of today's spirited adults and children. Three important qualities it certainly contains: assurance, individuality and artistic honesty."
He has done covers for “Maclean's Magazine” in which his great sense of humour blends with his artistic abilities to depict Canadians at work and play. He is represented in the National Gallery of Canada, Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Sir George Williams University Collection of Art, and many private collections.
John Little became an Associate of the Royal Canadian Academy in 1961, and then a full member of the Academy in 1973. He is a highly respected artist, and his works are very much sought-after in today's market for important Canadian art.
Source: "A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, Volume I: A-F", compiled by Colin S. MacDonald, Canadian Paperbacks Publishing Ltd, Ottawa, 1977
