Lot Info

Nicholas de Grandmaison (1892 - 1978)
Nicholas de Grandmaison was born in Russia into a family of noble descent. Following four years in a prisoner of war camp, he went to England, studied art, and eventually came to Canada in 1923. His first encounter with the First Nations people was in 1930. De Grandmaison was drawn to their independence and the pride in their facial expressions. He used oil and pastel to capture these characteristics. To observe him work behind the easel was to understand how delicate his coordination of hand and eye was, enabling him to create the image of the face with deftness and surety. The eyes often became the focal point of the painting. This was his indefinable signature. He regarded the Plains First Nations as the aristocrats of North America, and in their weathered features, was a strength he wished to preserve. Banff was home after 1940. Nicholas de Grandmaison was buried on the Piikani (Peigan) Reserve, where he had been made an Honorary Chief. His legacy of work is a permanent part of Canadian art history. Courtesy of Loch Gallery, Calgary, AB.

Lot 10          Year 2010 Title Untitled [Indian Brave]          Artist Nicholas de Grandmaison (1892 - 1978)          Medium oil on canvas Dimensions (inches) 17 in x 14 in          Artist's Value (CAD) $18,000 - $20,000          Hammer Price (CAD) $17,000.00

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