Lot 2: Edward John (E.J.) Hughes 1913 - 2007 Canadian

Edward John (E.J.) Hughes 1913 - 2007 Canadian graphite on card Unloading Supplies, Kiska 1943 19 1/2 x 26 inches 49.5 x 66 centimeters signed and dated 1944 and on verso signed, titled and titled ""Unloading Ammunition"" on the gallery label, dated and inscribed ""Figure with pipe only"" Provenance:Dominion Gallery, Montreal Private Collection, Montreal Having been a cadet in school, E.J. Hughes applied to the army in 1939 to become a war artist, and was accepted in 1940. After postings to Camp Petawawa in Ontario and to Britain, in 1943 Hughes was made a lieutenant and sent back to the West Coast to Kiska in the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska. At this quiet base, Hughes had ample time for his art, and set to documenting the camp and its soldiers. Hughes used the term cartoon for his finely finished graphite drawings, and this large cartoon work, with its fine texturing and handling of dark and light tonalities, is exceptional. It exhibits Hughes's unique stylization of repe ted patterning in the conical tents, tire tracks, stacked boxes of supplies and lines of soldiers with their rifles. The men are intent on their tasks, carried out with order, precision and dedication. Through the contrast of their activities and purpose amid the peaceful environment, Hughes captures a sense of energy held in as the men wait for action. Unloading Supplies, Kiska 1943 is both a striking image and a fascinating document of life at the Kiska base. The 1945 canvas derived from this cartoon drawing entitled Unloading Supplies, Kiska, is in the collection of the Canadian War Museum The 1943 preliminary ink drawing for this cartoon entitled Unloading Supplies was donated in 2012 to the Canadian War Museum by David and Robert Heffel.