Description:

Gershon Iskowitz, RCA (1919-1988), Canadian
BLUE MAUVE-C, 1980

oil on canvas
signed, titled, and dated verso
38 x 33 in — 96.5 x 83.8 cm

Estimate: $30,000—40,000 CAD

  • Provenance:

    Gallery Moos Ltd., Toronto, ON
    Private Collection, Hamilton, ON
    Private Collection, Toronto, ON

  • Dimensions: 38 x 33 in — 96.5 x 83.8 cm
  • Exhibited: Gershon Iskowitz, Gallery Moos Ltd., Toronto, 17 Jan - 4 Feb 1981.
  • Medium: oil on canvas
  • Notes: The 1970s was a period of high creative productivity for Gershon Iskowitz. His work came to wide and critical attention, first through his celebrated Lowlands and Uplands series (1969 – 1972), and in the mid-1970s, the Highlands-titled and related paintings. The Uplands were featured in the 1972 Venice Biennale, when Iskowitz represented Canada in tandem with sculptor Walter Redinger.

    During this decade, Iskowitz’s work was shown in public gallery solo exhibitions at Hart House/University of Toronto, the Glenbow Museum, Calgary, and the Owens Art Gallery/Art Gallery of Nova Scotia – his first solo exhibition in New York – and travelling group exhibitions across Canada, and internationally: Seven Canadian Painters, toured to eleven venues across Australia and New Zealand in 1977-78.

    While the mid-1970s are considered a ‘classic’ Iskowitz period, he continued to develop his approaches and techniques for abstraction. Blue Mauve-C is a prime example of Iskowitz’s inventiveness. The convention of figure on ground is inverted in his underpainting of amorphous green, yellow, purple and pink forms. This ground is overpainted with blues to form ‘strands’ of the bolder underpaint. There is also a reversal of atmospheric perspective – typically an illusion of depth with paler and cooler colours painted in the background. Related and later paintings include Night Greens D, 1981 – featured on the dust cover of Adele Freeman’s 1982 monograph Gershon Iskowitz, Painter of Light – and Orange Yellow C, 1982. ( Collection of the Agnes Etherington Art Centre.)

    On the rare occasions that Iskowitz spoke of his impulses and approaches, he emphasized a living experience, left open for interpretation, rather than a prescribed formal theory:

    There has to be a certain kind of reality in it [and] a form of communication. My work is more like...space, and poems; and it relates to my daily living. What we do is paint; we build an image, a form. It’s not an obvious form, it’s private.[1]

    [1] David Bolduc interview with Gershon Iskowitz, Proof Only (Toronto), January 15, 1974.

    We thank Ihor Holubizky for this essay. Holubizkyr is a cultural essayist and art historian. He received his PhD in Art History from the University of Queensland.
  • Condition: Good overall condition.
    Minor stretcher mark to upper right quadrant.

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.

Flashpack
Attn: Wing Liu
Tel: 604-270-8989
[email protected]

Denbigh Fine Art Services
Tel: 604-876-3303
[email protected]

Armstrong Fine Art Services
Tel: 905-362-5487
[email protected]

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

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

For any additional questions, please contact us at [email protected]

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

20 November 2025 20:00 EST
Toronto, ON, CA

Waddington's

You agree to pay a buyer’s premium, as outlined below, and any applicable taxes and shipping.
Buyer's Premium
$0 - $25,000:
25.00%
$25,001+:
22.00%

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
CA$0 CA$199 CA$10
CA$200 CA$499 CA$20
CA$500 CA$999 CA$50
CA$1,000 CA$1,999 CA$100
CA$2,000 CA$4,999 CA$200
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