signed lower left; signed and titled on the reverse
16 × 20 in (40.6 × 50.8 cm)
Auction Estimate:$15,000 - $20,000
Sale date:November 22, 2021
Price Realized
$18,000
(including Buyer's Premium)
Provenance
Loch Mayberry Fine Art, Winnipeg
Private Collection, Winnipeg
Literature
Robert Burford Mason, “A Grand Eye for Glory: A Life of Franz Johnston”, Toronto, 1998, page 40
Franz Johnston became one of the most sought-after lyrical painters, as his skill in rendering the quality of light and shadow on snow is unsurpassed. Johnston’s treatment of the Canadian landscape in a decorative style set him apart among Canadian artists. In a review of his first independent exhibition in 1920, “The Globe and Mail” commended his approach, remarking, “Mr. Johnston leans strongly to the decorative treatment of his subject, and with it he infuses much poetry and imagination.” Johnston exemplifies this approach in “Winter Uplands”, a harmonious composition of crisp white snow and snow- covered evergreen trees set before a radiant blue sky. Views of snow- laden trees lend themselves well to the artist’s preferred style, which Johnston frequently depicted in picturesque renderings.
