117 Franklin Carmichael CSPWC G7 OSA RCA 1890 – 1945
Storm Over Hills, Cranberry Lake oil on panel, signed and dated 1939 and on verso titled twice and inscribed #986 10 x 12 in, 25.4 x 30.5 cm P rov e n a n c e
By descent to the present Private Collection, Toronto Franklin Carmichael’s beloved Cranberry Lake is the subject of many of his works. When he first saw the white rocks of the La Cloche Mountains in Ontario’s Killarney Provincial Park, he was drawn immediately to the region. This natural palette of white rock was somewhat unusual in Canada, and very well suited to his watercolourist’s eye. Carmichael bought property at
Cranberry Lake and eventually built a cottage there. This became his base, and La Cloche would be his sketching ground for the last decade of his life. In Storm Over Hills, Cranberry Lake, wild weather has stained the whole landscape grey. Even the shining white rocks that Carmichael was so fond of are greyed by the heavy cloud that fills the sky. While the clouds advance to the left, the trees all lean to the right, conveying the feeling of the wind whipping in a circular fashion. The whole scene is charged with energy and excitement, demonstrating Carmichael’s understanding of the changeable weather at Cranberry Lake. Est imat e : $70,000 – 90,000
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