Chapter 7. The Case of the Misattributed Emily Carrs

Recently I was asked by a client to authenticate a pair of framed and matted watercolours which he had purchased some years ago. The matting on each framed work included the words “Emily Carr” centered just below the image.

Unsigned watercolour on paper mounted on cardboard

Unsigned watercolour on paper mounted on cardboard

Description: Both are unsigned watercolour paintings on paper mounted on cardboard, approximate size 7 x 51/2 inches.

Condition: Very good, some very minor discolouration of paper. A typed letter, with signature, attesting to the fact that the paintings were by Emily Carr was attached to the rear of each framed painting.

Iconography: The images possibly depict Northwest Coastal Indian sites as evidenced by the totem poles and the type of house construction.

Ground: The paper is similar to a twice-folded, full-size sheet of standard sized sketch paper and is not of the best quality for the application of watercolour.

Technique: From a stylistic point of view the method used in the application of watercolour paint and the density of the pigment in the binder (water) used is noticably different from that of Emily Carr, however there is some technical similarity to Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith, one of her contemporaries, who painted similar subject matter. (F. M. Bell-Smith produced two views of Alert Bay in 1909. One is in the permanent collection of the Vancouver Art Gallery and the other is in the collection of the B.C. Archives PDP02811).

The preference for the use of strong primary colour, placed almost alla prima on the paper is not in evidence, a technique, that was favoured by Emily Carr from about 1908 to 1912.

In these paintings, light veils of thin wash have been applied to create form and to suggest atmosphere and mood related to a particular place. The result is a rather sombre, melancholic feeling similar to the work from the same period as those of Bell-Smith, however, the attention to detail, quality of rendered form and use of colour is lacking. Bell-Smith’s paintings, Mists and Glaciers in the Selkirks from 1911 and Heart of the Empire from 1909 suggest a proclivity for such atmospheric melancholy.

Historical Context: During the early 20th century several Canadian artists were instrumental in documenting native villages and totem poles throughout the Pacific Northwest Coast and Vancouver Island. Among them, circa 1908-1912 were Emily Carr, Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith, and later circa 1922-1929, A.Y. Jackson, George Pepper and Walter J. Phillips. An American artist named Langdon Kihn was also engaged in this pursuit. Stylistically, the known work of these artists does not show any definitive comparison to the images under discussion.

Conclusion: I believe these works were painted by a competent follower of Emily Carr.

Next: The Case of the MS.