Lot 15: Christopher Pratt 1935 - Canadian mixed media on

Christopher Pratt 1935 - Canadian mixed media on paper June 1949: The Way We Were 22 1/4 x 43 inches 56.5 x 109.2 centimeters signed and dated June 2009 and on verso signed, titled and inscribed ""June 2009 - sixty years on"" Provenance:Douglas Udell Gallery, Vancouver Estate of James M. Brickley, Vancouver The history of Newfoundland is deeply embedded in the work of Christopher Pratt. The inscription on verso of this work reads: "For my parents - Emily Christina Dawe, a Newfoundlander of (at least) five generations and John Kerr Pratt who, through his Grandmother, Fanny Pitts Knight, was a Newfoundlander of (at least) six generations. They voted against Confederation." A former colony of the United Kingdom, Newfoundland became the tenth province to enter the Canadian confederation on March 31, 1949. This followed a lengthy and intense debate, which obviously resulted in an adverse conclusion for the Pratts. June 1949: The Way We Were therefore acts as a historical yet incredibly personal painting. Given the inscription, we can assume that the two boats symbolize Pratt's parents and their defiantly independent political views on the future of Newfoundland. The Canadian Red Ensign flag is at half-mast, casting a reflective and sombre shadow on the work. Characteristic of Pratt's work, the forms are refined and, above all, poignant. Distilled works such as this demonstrate Pratt's firm standing as one of Canada's most important contemporary artists.