Devil's Club, circa 1940 by William Percival Weston

Provenance:
Private Collection, Manitoba
Sigvaldson Fine Art, Manitoba

Exhibited:
"33rd Annual Exhibition", British Columbia Society of Fine Arts, Vancouver Art Gallery, 15 May-6 June 1943, no. 66
"2nd Annual B.C. Artists' Summer Exhibition", Vancouver Art Gallery, 2 July-25 August 1943, no. 19
"64th Annual Exhibition", Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, Musée de la Province de Québec; travelling to the Art Association of Montreal, 5 October-27 November 1943, no. 116 as "Devil's Club" at $150
"W.P. Weston One-Person Exhibition", Western Circuit, Calgary, travelling to Edmonton; Regina; Saskatoon; Winnipeg; Vancouver, 1944-1945

Literature:
J. Delisle Parker, 'In the Realm of Art: Fine Creative Spirit Marks Exhibition by B.C. Artists', "Vancouver Daily Province" (21 May 1943) mentions "New phases appear in the exhibits by W.P. Weston, A.R.C.A., especially in the color, simplicity and subtle rhythm running through his 'Devil's Club'."

Born in London, England, William Percival Weston settled in British Columbia in 1909. Weston explored coastal B.C. on frequent sketching trips, impressed with the region’s rugged natural beauty. An admirer of the work of Emily Carr, the two corresponded, sharing their ideas and artistic motivations.

This painting is a striking depiction of Devil’s Club, a plant known for its large, spiky leaves and deep green foliage. The composition focuses on the intricate details of the plant, with broad, sharply lobed leaves overlapping each other in a layered, organic pattern. The rich green hues contrast against the dark trunk and shadowed depths of a forest. Devil’s Club is a medicinal and culturally significant plant in Indigenous traditions of the Pacific Northwest, often associated with protection and healing. Its thorn-covered stems make it both a defensive plant and a symbol of resilience.