November 21, 2005
Sotheby’s Toronto auction of
Important Canadian Art...
The second of the private
collections offered was a group of
fine Cornelius Krieghoff
paintings, including his
masterpiece, Portrait of John Budden
(see below). Budden was
Krieghoff’s friend and patron, and
this is one of the finest 19th
century portraits painted in
Canada. It was estimated at $200,000
to $300,000 and sold at $405,000.
CORNELIUS DAVID KRIEGHOFF
(1815-1872)
PORTRAIT OF JOHN BUDDEN
signed
oil on canvas
59.7 by 76.2 cm.
23 1/2 by 30 in.
Krieghoff's portrait of John Budden,
his friend of many years, is one of
the most important portraits of 19th
century Canada. Budden was a partner
in the Montreal auction house of A.J.
Maxham and Company, and both Budden
and his firm helped to establish
Krieghoff as the most widely
collected artist of his time. Their
friendship lasted a lifetime; at
Krieghoff's death, a half-written
letter to Budden lay on his desk.
Budden introduced Krieghoff to the
many businessmen who made fortunes
in the lumber, fur, mining, and
other industries of Quebec.
Krieghoff obliged his eager buyers
with paintings of log drives, as
well as depictions of recreational
activities. Budden and Krieghoff
went on hunting expeditions, fishing
trips, and other outings together;
and Krieghoff included Budden and
his entrepreneurial friends, such as
James Gibb, J.R. Young, and C.R.
O'Connor, as hunters or as figures
in his paintings.
In 1853, when Krieghoff was having
difficulty finding enough clients in
Montreal to sustain his career,
Budden insisted he move to Quebec
City and share his small home there.
Again, Budden introduced him to
future clients: the wealthy Quebec
sporting crowd, members of the
prominent professional class, as
well as officers in the English
garrison, who purchased Krieghoff's
colourful, topographical works of
the striking scenery around Quebec
City as souvenirs or to send home to
England and Scotland as gifts:
Montmorency Falls, the falls on the
Ste. Anne River, and the forests and
lakes of the surrounding area.
Budden also expanded the market for
Krieghoff's paintings through
dealers in the major cities along
the eastern seaboard of the United
States. In 1862, as the artist
prepared to travel abroad, Budden
presided over a spectacular auction
of a hundred of Krieghoff's most
important works to raise money for
the trip.
This portrait of John Budden stands
out among Krieghoff's entire oeuvre.
It proves what a remarkable painter
Krieghoff could be at his best. As
portraiture, it differs sharply from
the norms of the time, not being
formally posed but in a relaxed and
informal setting. Budden is shown in
profile, rather than full-face; he
is seated on the ground, rather than
standing or seated on a chair; he is
leaning on one hand in a slightly
twisted position so that we actually
see more of his back than of his
face. He is wearing checkered pants,
hand-sewn leather shoes, and spats;
and, as a gentleman hunter, has laid
down his top hat, rifle and game bag
- which on their own form an
evocative and brilliant still life.
The oval format also helps to create
a sense of intimacy for the subject
and the scene. Harper also suggests:
The painting personifies the
rebellious young men of mid-century
who were making a daring bid to be
fashionable, breaking with the
dreary conventions of Victorian
Englishmen and groping towards a
flashy reincarnation of Beau
Brummell.
PROVENANCE:
Mrs. Esmond Peck, Montreal
Mrs. R. Archibald, Montreal
Sold, Sotheby's, Toronto, Oct. 1972,
lot 62, illustrated in colour, p.37
Private Collection, Toronto
EXHIBITED:
Krieghoff, National Gallery of
Canada, Ottawa, and The Montreal
Museum, 1934
Coronation Exhibition, The National
Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 1953
Three Hundred Years of Canadian Art,
The National Gallery of Canada,
Ottawa, 1967
LITERATURE:
J. Russell Harper, Krieghoff,
Toronto, 1979, p. 20
ILLUSTRATION:
Marius Barbeau, Cornelius Krieghoff,
Toronto, 1934, p. 131, and colour
plate facing p. 22
R.H. Hubbard, An Anthology of
Canadian Art, Toronto, 1960, p. 45
R.H. Hubbard, Three Hundred Years of
Canadian Art, Toronto, 1967, p. 68
and plate 112
J. Russell Harper, Kreighoff,
Toronto, 1979, p. 19
Dennis Reid, Krieghoff, Images of
Canada, Toronto, 1999, fig. 10, p.
68
Estimate: $200000 - $300000
