Artwork by Maurice Galbraith Cullen,  River in Winter
Thumbnail of Artwork by Maurice Galbraith Cullen,  River in Winter Thumbnail of Artwork by Maurice Galbraith Cullen,  River in Winter Thumbnail of Artwork by Maurice Galbraith Cullen,  River in Winter

Preview this item at:

Cowley Abbott
326 Dundas St West
Toronto ON M5T 1G5
Ph. 1(416)479-9703

Lot #7

Maurice Cullen
River in Winter

oil on canvas
signed lower right; Cullen inventory no. 1122
24 x 32 in ( 61 x 81.3 cm )

Auction Estimate: $60,000.00$40,000.00 - $60,000.00

Provenance:
Private Collection, Montreal
By descent to the present Private Collection, Toronto
Literature:
A.K. Prakash, "Impressionism in Canada: A Journey of Rediscovery", Stuttgart, 2015, page 321
Having met during their respective studies in Paris, Canadian artists Maurice Cullen and James Wilson Morrice formed a close and collaborative friendship. Cullen had developed his skills painting in an Impressionist style, and was determined to introduce the new artistic idiom to a Canadian audience. When Morrice visited Canada in the 1890s, the two embarked on painting expeditions, travelling north to Quebec City and on to Beaupré. Cullen would repeat sketching trips up and down the St. Lawrence for years to come, gaining a deep familiarity with the scenic vistas of the Laurentians. Author A.K. Prakash observed, “He continually watched the ice and snow on the Laurentian rivers, noting the atmospheric effects at every hour of the day, during all weathers and in every changing season... They have an atmosphere of dreams and secret places that few other artists have been able to attain.”

"River in Winter" aptly demonstrates Cullen’s expert skill at capturing the subtle light and atmosphere of a crisp Quebec winter day. The painting is luminous, with sunlight falling in patterns on the hills, trees, snow and river. Cullen taught private painting classes to artists such as A.Y. Jackson and Kathleen Moir Morris. Frequently, he brought his students with him on sketching trips. Cullen’s artistic influence proved crucial for a younger generation of Canadian artists.
Sale Date: November 27th 2024

Register to Bid

To participate in our auction by telephone or absentee bid, please register below. You may also download a bid form and email a completed copy to [email protected] Bidding registration must be submitted by 12:00 Noon EST on Wednesday, November 27th

Bid in Person Telephone Bid Absentee Bid Download Bid Form

Already have an account? Sign-In

Register to Bid Online

To register to bid online during our live auctions you will be taken to a different website hosted by Auction Mobility. A new account, separate from your regular Cowley Abbott Client Profile, will need to be created prior to online bidding registration.
Bidding registration must be submitted by 12:00 Noon EST on Wednesday, November 27th

Register to Bid Online

Please Note: All bidding through the Auction Mobility site and apps is subject to a 21% Buyer's Premium

Get updates or additional information on this item
Watch This Item Ask a Question Request Condition Report

Preview this item at:

Cowley Abbott
326 Dundas St West
Toronto ON M5T 1G5
Ph. 1(416)479-9703


Share this item with your friends

Maurice Galbraith Cullen
(1866 - 1934) RCA

Maurice Cullen was born in St. John's Newfoundland, 1866. His family moved to Montreal in 1870. He studied sculpture at Monument National under Philippe Hebert. He assisted Hébert in the making of the Apostle figures for the facade of St. James Cathedral. The legacy left to him after the death of his mother in 1887 enabled him to travel to Paris and study sculpture at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. He was tremendously impressed by the work of Claude Monet and other Impressionists which swayed him to become a painter. He studied painting under Eli Delauney in 1889 at the Beaux-Arts and in 1892 left the school to paint landscapes at Moret, Every, and Le Pouldu. In 1894 five of his paintings were shown at the Salon. On a trip to Brittany he met the Norwegian painter Fritz Thaulow, they had much in common. Thaulow may have influenced him in choosing winter landscapes.

In 1895 he was elected Associate of the Societe nationale des Beaux-Arts, France. That same year he returned to Montreal where he opened a studio, making sketching trips along the St. Lawrence near Quebec City and Beaupre. By 1897 he was exhibited with the Royal Canadian Academy and participated in Spring Exhibitions of the Art Association of Montreal. At the time there was very little interest in Canadian snow scenes. In 1900 Cullen held an exhibition of his French and Canadian paintings at the Fraser Institute but sold none of these works. They offered little competition for the Dutch 19th Century paintings which were then in vogue. His lack of success left him undeterred however, and he continued sketching in Montreal and Levis. His night scenes of shops with their glowing windows reflecting light in the snowy streets, were breaking new ground by their “ordinary everyday subjects” as was noted by Dr. Hubbard in his book.

In 1907 Cullen was elected full member of the Royal Canadian Academy. He was a fine craftsman and was very careful with the media he used. He worked with thick surfaces throughout, or totally thin surfaces, and presently his canvases pose few problems for restorers. He seldom used more than eight colours in oil painting because he was wary of the manufactured colour blends. He made his own pastels from earths and other pigments which he then applied with a minimum of rubbing.

By the early teens he was exhibiting regularly with the Canadian Art Club in Toronto and in 1918 Cullen went to France as an official war artist with the rank of captain. One of his stepsons, Robert Pilot, became a distinguished painter and President if the Royal Canadian Academy. Cullen moved toward clearer atmospheres in his paintings and away from the soft and misty atmospheres of the French Impressionists. This development was perhaps epitomized in his canvas “Deep Pool”. He painted on the Island of Orleans with Horatio Walker, Edmond Dyonnet, and William Brymner and painted with F. S. Coburn whim he encouraged in winter landscapes, also James Wilson Morrice and others. He died at Chambly, Quebec, at the age of 68. A large retrospective exhibition of his works was held in 1956 at the National Gallery of Canada.

Source: "A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, Volume I: A-F", compiled by Colin S. MacDonald, Canadian Paperbacks Publishing Ltd, Ottawa, 1977