Lot 166: Henrietta Mabel May 1877 - 1971 Canadian oil on

Henrietta Mabel May 1877 - 1971 Canadian oil on canvas Cottage with Clothesline 18 x 22 inches 45.7 x 55.9 centimeters Provenance:A gift from the Artist to a Private Collector, Ontario By descent within the family of the above Private Collection, Toronto For Mabel May, the Quebec countryside was a favoured subject, and her style is noted for its vigour, rhythm and bold use of colour. Her artistic development began with classes at the Art Association of Montreal, followed by a 1912 trip to Europe which brought the influence of the French Impressionists into her early work. Recognition came when the National Gallery of Canada began to collect her work in 1913, and the Canadian War Memorial Fund engaged her to paint women in munitions factories. In 1920, she became a founding member of the Beaver Hall Group. After this time, her work showed the influence of the Group of Seven, and she participated in their 1928 and 1930 to 1931 exhibitions. Her work became known internationally, most notably through the British Empire Exhibition in 1924 to 1925 and 1938's A Century of Canadian Art at the Tate Gallery in London, contributing to May's significance as a groundbreaking early twentieth century female artist in Canada. Cottage with Clothesline, with its dazzling contrast between brilliant whites and greens and the darkness of rooftops, trees and shadows, is an outstanding canvas.