Canadian Fine Art Auction

May 29, 2017

LOT 18

Lot 18

WILLIAM RONALD, R.C.A.

WILLIAM RONALD, R.C.A.
Lot 18 Details
WILLIAM RONALD, R.C.A.

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH

oil on canvas
signed and dated ‘80; also signed, titled and dated “October 21/80” on the reverse
48.5 ins x 36 ins; 123.2 cms x 91.4 cms

Estimate $8,000-$12,000

Realised: $9,600
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
WILLIAM RONALD, R.C.A.
  • WILLIAM RONALD, R.C.A.
  • WILLIAM RONALD, R.C.A.
Provenance:

Private Collection, Toronto (acquired directly from the artist)

Note:

William Ronald (1926-1998) was one of the founding members of Painters Eleven, an abstract group of Toronto artists active from 1953 to 1960. He practiced a form of Abstract Expressionism that was well received in New York where he moved in 1955. Refusing to shift to Pop Art, which was in the ascendant in the 1960s, Ronald left the Kootz Gallery, his Manhattan dealer, and returned to Toronto in 1965 where he continued to paint while working as an arts broadcaster. His work from the 1970s and 1980s refers to earlier work from the 1950s, often featuring a central bulging ovoid shape resembling a head. Ronald’s Portrait of Pierre Trudeau, painted in 1980—one in a series of portraits of Canada’s prime ministers—is one such work. Also dating to 1980, are a number of canvases with decorative borders, containing ovoid shapes in various guises, to which the artist has given titles of movies from the 1950s (a period during which he was a rising star on the international art scene). Hulot’s Avignon (Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot, 1953), Black Orpheus, 1959, and The Greatest Show on Earth, 1952 are three examples. Here, the title suggests an aerial view of a circus “big top,” but the image is open to other interpretations.

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 18
×

About Condition Ratings

  • 5 Stars: Excellent - No discernable damage, flaws or imperfections
  • 4 Stars: Very Good - Minor flaws or imperfections visible only under close inspection using specialised instruments or black light
  • 3 Stars: Good - Minor flaws visible upon inspection under standard lighting
  • 2 Stars: Fair - Exhibits flaws or damage that may draw the eye under standard lighting
  • 1 Star: Poor - Flaws or damage immediately apparent under standard lighting (examples: missing components, rips, broken glass, damaged surfaces, etc.)

Note: Condition ratings and condition details are the subjective opinions of our specialists and should be used as a guide only. Waddington’s uses due care when preparing condition details, however, our staff are not professional restorers or conservators. Condition details and reports are not warranties and each lot is sold “as is” in accordance with the buyer’s terms and conditions of sale. In all cases the prospective purchaser is responsible for inspecting the property themselves prior to placing a bid.