Description:

William Kurelek, RCA (1927-1977), Canadian
PANORAMA FROM THE MARTYR'S SHRINE, MIDLAND, 1964
watercolour on hardboard
initialed lower right; titled and dated to labels verso

Estimate: $25,000—35,000 CAD

  • Provenance:

    The Isaacs Gallery, Toronto, ON
    Woltjen/Udell Gallery, Edmonton, AB
    Joyner Fine Art, Toronto, ON, 21 Nov 1990, lot 349
    Private Collection, Toronto, ON
    By descent to the present Private Collection, Toronto, ON

  • Dimensions: 7.5 x 35.5 in — 19.1 x 90.2 cm
  • Medium: watercolour on hardboard
  • Notes:

    The Martyrs’ Shrine, near Midland, Ontario, was founded in 1907 and is centred around St. Jean de Brébeuf (1593–1649) and his companions, known as the Canadian Martyrs.

    Brébeuf was a Jesuit missionary sent to New France to live among the Wendat people in 1626. One of his first tasks was to create a dictionary of the local languages so as to better help his fellow priests in communicating with the local people. Brébeuf embedded himself with several Indigenous groups in an attempt to convert them to Catholicism, with mixed results. In 1649, Brébeuf and a group of other Jesuits were captured during an attack on the Wendat by the Haudenosaunee. They were tortured and killed, and their mission burned to the ground. In 1652, the process was begun to canonise Brébeuf and his companions, an act that was completed by Pope Pius XI in 1930. Brébeuf’s bones are interred at the Martyrs' Shrine.

    Of the painting, Father John O’Brien, Director at the Martyrs’ Shrine, explains:

    Panorama from the Martyrs’ Shrine, Midland, 1964 depicts a view of the Wye Marsh, which surrounds the site of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, the historic 17th century Jesuit mission in Huronia. The perspective is from the vantage point of Martyrs’ Shrine on the hill above the marsh. The statue is of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), the religious order to which St. Jean de Brébeuf and the Canadian Martyrs belonged. Kurelek had a particular devotion to the French missionaries, and did a separate series of 12 small paintings, known as the Huronia Mission Paintings, depicting their lives. Mrs. Kurelek recounted that her family visited the Shrine and the area at least once, and it was probably on that occasion that Kurelek was inspired to paint the Huronia Mission Paintings, and therefore, I would surmise, the scene of the Ignatius statue and the view of the Wye Marsh.”

  • Condition: Very good overall condition.
    Work was professionally treated July 2024. Conservation 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:
Pak Mail
Attn: Taurus Chan
4981 Hwy 7 East, Unit 12A, Markham, ON L3R 1N1
Tel: 905.470.6874; 416.293.8225
Fax: 905.470.6875
[email protected]
www.pakmailmarkham.ca

Permits may be required for international shipments due to export restrictions on endangered species.

28 November 2024 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