Lot 70: FRANKLIN CARMICHAEL, O.S.A., R.C.A. LONE LAKE, watercolour; signed and dated 1929 17.5 ins x 22 ins; 43.8 cms x 55 cms Provenance: Estate of the artist. By descent to the present owner. Exhibited: An Exhibition of the Group of Seven, Canadian Society

FRANKLIN CARMICHAEL, O.S.A., R.C.A. LONE LAKE, watercolour; signed and dated 1929 17.5 ins x 22 ins; 43.8 cms x 55 cms Provenance: Estate of the artist. By descent to the present owner. Exhibited: An Exhibition of the Group of Seven, Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour, et al, Art Gallery of Toronto, Toronto, April 5th - 27th, 1930, no.15. Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings by the Group of Seven and Other Artists Invited by Them to Contribute, Art Association of Montreal, Montreal, May 3-18, 1930, no.15. Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto, Aug. 22 - Sept. 6, 1930, no.261. Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour, Art Gallery of Toronto, Toronto, Oct. 2 - Nov. 2, 1931, no.152. Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour, Royal Scottish Academy Galleries, Edinburgh, January 27 - March 4, 1933. Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto, Aug. 25 - Sept. 9, 1939, no.261. Franklin Carmichael, Selected Works, Art Gallery of Sudbury, Sudbury, May 12 to September 4, 2005. Following in the Footsteps of the Group of Seven, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, May 22 to September 6, 2010. Literature: Megan Bice, Light & Shadow: The Work of Franklin Carmichael, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, 1990, pages 39-40, 53-60, 62, 69-70 and 124-125. Catharine Mastin (essay), Franklin Carmichael, Selected Works, Art Gallery of Sudbury, Sudbury, 2005, page 21 (chapter entitled "Painting in Water Colour") and page 20, reproduced in colour (as "Lone Lake, 1930"). Note: The watercolour medium was a component of Carmichael's early career. However, for a decade between about 1914 and 1924 he executed almost no watercolours. He returned to this medium in the mid 1920s with great interest. By 1925 he had joined forces with A.J. Casson and F.H. Bridgen to form the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour. Catharine Mastin writes that: "Carmichael's works of the later 1920s onwards are for the most part, extraordinary examples of the medium's potential. A fluid and unpredictable medium when combined with too much water, he mastered the art of controlling it under virtually any condition."Carmichael painted watercolours in two general formats: the smaller ones are approximately 11 ins. by 13 ins. and the larger ones between 17 ins. by 21 ins. The artist felt that the large-scale watercolours could better depict the drama and power of the La Cloche region landscape. Although he painted very few large watercolours, these monumental works offer, according to Mastin, an opportunity to appreciate Carmichael's superb skill in this medium. "Lone Lake" is an exceptional example and is one of the earliest of the artist's larger-scaled studio watercolours.This lot depicts Nellie Lake looking eastward towards Sudbury. Nellie Lake is two lakes east of Cranberry Lake and neighbours Grace Lake, both of which appear in many of Carmichael's paintings and both of which are part of Ontario's Killarney Provincial Park.Describing "Lone Lake", Mastin concludes by observing that: "This richly coloured painting, dominated by cool blues and greens, is focused on the unique contours and rhythm of the hills, and feelings of tranquility and peace that the artist found there." What is clear in this lot is Carmichael's absolute mastery of the watercolour medium and his great skill in creating a superb composition. It was a tremendous tribute to the artist when Lone Lake (at the western end of Nellie Lake) was named in Carmichael's honour in the late 1970s.This lot was chosen as the colour cover illustration for the invitation for the 2005 Art Gallery of Sudbury Exhibition.This watercolour was framed by The McMichael Canadian Art Collection in preparation for the 2010 exhibition."Lone Lake" has remained in a private collection from the time it was painted until being offered for sale in this auction.