Christmas Still Life #1 (Nature morte de Noël #1) by Joseph Francis Plaskett
Joseph Plaskett
Christmas Still Life #1 (Nature morte de Noël #1)
oil on canvas
signed and inscribed “1980 xmas” lower right; signed and titled on the reverse
23.5 x 32 ins ( 59.7 x 81.3 cms )
Auction Estimate: $6,000.00 - $8,000.00
Price Realized $6,490.00
Sale date: June 2nd 2020
Galerie Walter Klinkhoff, Montreal
Private Collection, Montreal
In the late 1970s, Plaskett began spending more time in the UK, as opposed to Paris, as he had inherited a farm in the centre of Suffolk called The Cedars. He transformed the two acres surrounding the farm into a beautiful garden and found inspiration within this landscape. “Christmas Still Life #1” depicts Christmas of 1980, perhaps having taken place at the enchanting Cedars home. The painting is a visual delight of wine glasses - both enjoyed and partially full - delectable oranges, empty wine bottles, plates cleaned of food, and vibrant flowers. These tell-tale signs of an enjoyable feast are set against a rich, red tablecloth and bright light pouring in through the window. Composed with warm light, soft forms and vibrant colours, there is a sense of humanity in Plaskett’s painting, as he turns raw materials and found objects into masterpieces.
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Joseph Francis Plaskett
(1918 - 2014) RCA, Order of Canada
Joseph Plaskett is a painter known for his colourful palette, light-drenched still-lifes and portraits. He exhibits his pastels and canvases, which he describes as searches for "meaning" in colour, in both international and Canadian galleries. Plaskett was born in 1918 in New Westminster, BC. After graduating from UBC, he taught History in schools for six years while attending the Vancouver School of Art at night. He studied in Banff, San Francisco, New York, London, and Paris before moving to Paris in 1951. The romance of Paris and its society nurtured him. He painted still lifes, intimate interiors, and portraits of friends in his space. "Everything can happen within the space of a room" the artist once said. He spends part of the year in England and continues to paint his chosen subjects. As the art critic Michael Scott writes: "What hasn't changed is Plaskett's remarkable assurance with paint. He may be deconstructing his still lifes, but the superb quality of painting is the same. Surfaces are built of layers of pigment, smooth skins of colour glowing from beneath. And where Plaskett pulls away the surface colour saturated corals, pungent mauves, lime greens, bursts of lemon show through." His works are in public art gallery collections from Prince Edward Island to Vancouver Island, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Vancouver Art Gallery, and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Plaskett received the Order of Canada in the spring of 2001 for excellence in the field of visual art.
