Description:

Alfred Joseph (A.J.) Casson, OSA, PRCA (1898-1992), Canadian

SUN AFTER RAIN, 1959

oil on linen
signed lower right; titled variously and dated to gallery labels verso
30 x 38 in — 76.2 x 96.5 cm

Estimate: $80,000—120,000

    Provenance:
  • Roberts Gallery, Toronto, ON Private Collection, Canada Roberts Gallery, Toronto, ON Dr. Franc R. Joubin, Toronto, ON Heffel Gallery, Vancouver, BC Waddington & Gorce, Inc., Montreal, QC Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, ON, as Sun After Rain, Madawaska Region - Algonquin Park Private Collection, Toronto, ON
  • Dimensions:
  • 30 x 38 in — 76.2 x 96.5 cm
  • Artist Name:
  • Alfred Joseph (A.J.) Casson, OSA, PRCA (1898-1992)
  • Exhibited:
  • Recent Paintings by A. J. Casson R.C.A., O.S.A., Roberts Gallery, Toronto, ON, 6-21 Mar 1959. A. J. Casson, Kenneth G. Heffel Fine Art Inc., Vancouver, BC, 7 Dec 1985-25 Jan 1986.
  • Literature:
  • Pearl McCarthy, "A Meticulously Orderly Painter," The Globe and Mail (Toronto, ON), 14 Mar 1959, 15, repro. b/w. Paul Duval, A.J. Casson (Toronto: Roberts Gallery, 1975), 131 repro. b/w. Paul Duval, A.J. Casson / His Life & Works / A Tribute (Toronto: Cerebrus / Prentice-Hall, 1980), 227. Eve Johnson, "Art of a living master," The Vancouver Sun (Vancouver, BC), 9 Dec 1985, 25.
  • Medium:
  • oil on linen
  • Notes:
  • A.J. Casson retired in 1958 after a 45-year career in commercial art. During his commercial life he was respected for his perfectionism and his refined understanding of colour and linear design. In his new career as an artist, Casson pushed these effects to heights and achievements unparalleled by the Group of Seven and distinct in Canadian landscape painting with Sun After Rain. Casson’s masterful control of his palette and chromatic values enabled him to convey the scene with stunning effect. As the rain moves from right to left across the valley to the hills in the distance, sunlight traces the edges of clouds with a brilliant white, slightly infused with pale blue. Casson obscures the sun behind the cloud and engages us with multiple light effects. The rocky crest of a hill picketed with trees in their summer foliage, establishes our point of view. Directly above, a heavy, dark cloud refracts the light of the sun behind it. Below, the afternoon sky is still moist and Casson plays vaporous effects off the slopes of the distant hills. Each is slightly different according to distance, ambient light and temperature. Between the foreground and the hills, the expansive plain is divided by a meandering river. It announces the distance between our place in the foreground and the hills kilometres away. Sun After Rain was reproduced in Pearl McCarthy’s review of Casson’s first solo exhibition at Roberts Gallery, Toronto, March 1959. Their relationship pre-dated that exhibition and continued until Casson’s death, with many solo and group exhibitions in between. In addition to his perfectionism and acute sense of design, Casson possessed an exemplary work ethic, embodying the dictum, “nulla dies sine linea” (never a day without line).
  • Condition:
  • Very good overall condition. Work was professionally treated in April 2024. Conservator report available upon request.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

The Auctioneers will not undertake packing or shipping. The purchaser must designate and arrange for the services of an independent shipper and be responsible for all shipping and insurance expenses. The Auctioneers will, upon request, provide names of professional packers and shippers but will not be held responsible for the service or have any liability for providing this information. Reliable pre-auction estimates of shipping costs of lots offered in this sale may be obtained from:

PICK UP & SHIPPING FROM TORONTO:

When contacting the shippers please have your invoice # and item information ready.

PakShip
Attn: Taurus Chan
Tel: 905.470.6874
416.293.8225
Fax: 905.470.6875
[email protected]
www.pakship.ca

Safer Shipping
Attn: Perry Hehn
Tel: 416.299.3367
Fax: 416.299.9750
[email protected]
www.safershipping.ca

PICK UP & SHIPPING FROM VANCOUVER:

Please note that lots in our Waddington's West auctions are located in Vancouver, B.C. When contacting the shippers please have your invoice # and item information ready.

The UPS Store 424
Tel: 604-559-5446
[email protected]

PakMail
Tel: 604-472-6245
[email protected]
www.pakmailcanada.com

CITES WARNING:
Restrictions exist regarding the import and export of species protected under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). This includes but is not limited to items made of or containing bone (whalebone etc.), ivory, tortoise shell, seal skin, rhinoceros horn and any other animal part and is strictly controlled or forbidden by most countries. Please review your country's laws before bidding on pieces made of or containing these restricted items. It is the sole responsibility of the buyer to inquire about and obtain the proper permits for artwork purchased that may contain restricted materials, if such permit can be obtained. Please contact the department for further assistance. For more information please visit www.cites.org

May 29, 2024 6:00 PM EDT
Toronto, ON, CA

Waddington's

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
CA$0 CA$249 CA$10
CA$250 CA$499 CA$25
CA$500 CA$999 CA$50
CA$1,000 CA$1,999 CA$100
CA$2,000 CA$4,999 CA$250
CA$5,000 CA$9,999 CA$500
CA$10,000 CA$19,999 CA$1,000
CA$20,000 CA$49,999 CA$2,000
CA$50,000 CA$99,999 CA$5,000
CA$100,000 CA$299,999 CA$10,000
CA$300,000 CA$999,999 CA$25,000
CA$1,000,000 CA$1,999,999 CA$50,000
CA$2,000,000 CA$2,999,999 CA$100,000
CA$3,000,000 CA$4,999,999 CA$200,000
CA$5,000,000 + CA$300,000