Gaspé Shoreline , 1956

Family of the Artist By descent to the present Private Collection, Toronto

Women's Committee, Toronto, 1956 “Royal Canadian Academy of Arts”, Art Gallery of Toronto, 16 November 1957, no. 38

A.Y. Jackson’s great sense of adventure carried him from the east coast across Canada to the Rocky Mountains of the west. This canvas depicts a winter shoreline landscape from a trip to the Gaspé peninsula in Quebec. Jackson sent four letters to his cousin Margaret, the original owner of this work, describing the timeline of its completion and logistics surrounding its early exhibition history. These letters have been passed down to the present owner and are included with this lot. The first letter is dated 22 May 1956, where Jackson writes: “I have almost finished a canvas‒Gaspé, a dock, snow, a sleigh, motor boat, etc., did you want it, I might send it to the Womens’ Committee.” By autumn of the same year, it appears that the artwork was completed and already in the possession of his cousin in Toronto. In a letter dated 14 September, the artist wrote “I may want to reproduce your canvas of the Gaspé shore line. Do you mind? Enclosed you will find three labels for the sketches to go to the Womens’ Committee.” The following year, Jackson sent Margaret another letter, where he requested she send the painting to another exhibition. The artist wrote on 27 August 1957: “Do you mind sending the canvas I painted of Gaspé to the Royal Canadian Academy exhibition which opens at the Art Gallery of Toronto on Nov 16th, I have nothing finished here. It may not be accepted as there is an awful lot of work sent in and they hang only about seventy canvases. I am enclosing the label to go on the back of the frame. It should be left at the gallery early in October. 9th of October is the last day. [...] Best wishes to you all, Cousin Alex”. The artwork was in fact included in the RCA show, as noted on the canvas’ gallery label on the reverse. On December 4th following the exhibition, Margaret received yet another letter from her cousin requesting that she send it to a new show, where Jackson wrote “The Gaspé canvas is to go to Halifax if you don’t mind. You can hang the Bellefleur until it returns.”