signed lower right; titled on the reverse; a landscape of a lake shoreline on the reverse
10.5 × 13.5 in (26.7 × 34.3 cm)
Auction Estimate:$20,000 - $30,000
Sale date:June 15, 2022
Price Realized
$28,800
(including Buyer's Premium)
Provenance
Laing Galleries, Toronto
Private Collection, Toronto
“Road to Madsen Mines” leads the viewer along the dirt road to a gold mine in the Red Lake district of northwestern Ontario. Madsen Mines produced 2.5 million ounces of gold from 1938-1999 and is thought to be one of the largest untapped high-grade gold projects in the world. The unpaved road snakes through the centre of the picture leading the eye among the layers of horizontal zones of foreground and middle ground to the horizon line and brilliant turquoise skies above. Subtle, pastel hues meld to bring complexity to the banks of snow, while bold strokes of cornflower blue create shadow and dimension.
On verso, Jackson captures a quick sketch that is harmonious and feels as though it could be a finished composition. The bow of Jackson’s canoe pulled up on the rocks embodies the artist as pioneering spirit and creator of Canadian cultural identity.
