Lot 6: Bertram Charles (B.C.) Binning 1909 - 1976

Bertram Charles (B.C.) Binning 1909 - 1976 Canadian oil on board Little Red & Yellow Ships 8 5/8 x 10 1/2 inches 21.9 x 26.7 centimeters signed and dated 1949 and on verso signed, titled and inscribed ""$35.00"" on the artist's label Provenance:Private Collection, USA B.C. Binning was a catalyst in the cultural community of Vancouver. He established the Fine Arts Department at the University of British Columbia and, as its head, involved himself in many cultural events and activities. Binning had a great love of the sea, and explored the waters around Vancouver in his sailboat. These experiences led to his use of nautical images - the tall hulls depicted here being inspired by a sighting of towering World War II ships anchored in a cove in Indian Arm. This delightful oil contains Binning's classic and eloquent motifs of semi-abstracted rigging, masts and tall triangular hulls of ships, also featured in such stunning paintings as the 1948 oil Ships at Quiet Anchor and the 1949 canvas Fairweather Signals, both in the collection of the Vancouver Art Gallery, as well as the 1950 canvas Seaside Facade, in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. Little Red & Yellow Ships strikes the fine balance between formality and lyrical playfulness found in the most sought-after work of this pioneer West Coast modernist.