signed with initials and dated 1932 lower left; signed, titled and dated 1932 on the reverse
8.5 × 10.5 in (21.6 × 26.7 cm)
Auction Estimate:$15,000 - $20,000
Sale date:May 30, 2024
Price Realized
$28,800
(including Buyer's Premium)
Provenance
Dominion Gallery, Montreal
Private Collection, Toronto
Born in England, J.E.H. MacDonald moved to Canada when he was fourteen. Studying at the Hamilton Art School and eventually the Toronto Lithography Company and the Central Ontario School of Art and Design, MacDonald had early training in graphic and commercial design with an emphasis on line and proportion. This informed and was important in later years, facilitating his mode of expression in a controlled and more formal manner. From 1894, he worked as a graphic designer at Grip Ltd.
From 1922 until his death in 1932, MacDonald placed his main emphasis on the basic, monumental structure of nature, which gave further expression to his early interest in design. This beautiful image reflects the power of the ocean surrounding the island of Barbados. Waves crash upon the beach on a sunny day. Tones of blue, green and white invoke the heat of the sun and the cool of the water. Sailboats fly by in the background, pushed on by the wind. The line between the dark seas and light blue sky reflects the infinity of the ocean as our viewer sits from the safety of the shore.
