Description:

Robert Wakeham Pilot, PRCA (1898-1967), Canadian
FISHERMAN, ST HELEN’S ISLAND, MONTREAL, 1957

oil on canvas board
signed lower left; titled and dated verso; titled to gallery label verso
12.5 x 16.75 in — 31.8 x 42.5 cm

Estimate: $8,000—12,000 CAD

  • Provenance: Walter Klinkhoff Gallery, Montreal, QC
    Private Collection, Toronto, ON
  • Dimensions: 12.5 x 16.75 in — 31.8 x 42.5 cm
  • Medium: oil on canvas board
  • Notes: Robert Wakeham Pilot (1898–1967) is widely recognized as one of the last great Canadian Impressionists, celebrated for his atmospheric views of Quebec and the St. Lawrence region. Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and later based in Montreal, Pilot developed a style that captured the quiet poetry of urban streets, harbors, and rivers, often at dusk or in winter light.

    Raised in the studio of his stepfather, Maurice Cullen, Pilot was immersed in the world of professional art from an early age. He later built on this foundation with formal training in Montreal and in Paris at the Académie Julian. By 16, he was already exhibiting at the Art Association of Montreal and quickly gained attention for landscapes that blended French Impressionist influences with a distinctly Canadian feel. His mature work is known for its soft brushwork, gentle shifts of light, and muted, often twilight tones that give his landscapes a quiet, reflective mood.

    The present work exemplifies his refined handling of tone and his ability to translate mood and place on canvas. Before Expo 1967, Sainte-Hélène Island, adjacent to Montreal, was a park accessible to Montrealers only by car via the Jacques-Cartier bridge, a place to experience nature just outside the busy city. In this composition, fishermen cast lines into the St. Lawrence River, while in the background, Montreal, encased in impressionistic smoke, can be seen in light gray and green.
  • Condition: Good overall condition.
    Liquid accretion verso not impacting recto.

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28 May 2026 17:00 EDT
Toronto, ON, CA

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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
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CA$20,000 CA$49,999 CA$2,000
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CA$1,000,000 CA$1,999,999 CA$50,000
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