Emily Carr | War Canoes, Alert Bay

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Emily Carr (1871-1945), “War Canoes, Alert Bay,” c. 1908

watercolour on paper (Audain Art Museum Collection, Acquired with funds from Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa)

The Audain Art Museum announced the acquisition of an exceptional historical watercolour painting by revered Canadian artist, Emily Carr. Held for many years in private collections, War Canoes, Alert Bay, circa 1908, was unveiled alongside the iconic oil on canvas from the Museum’s Permanent Collection of the same name. This signifies an extraordinary reunion of two closely-related Carr masterworks, more than one hundred years after they were painted. The paintings feature three dugout canoes with Kwakwaka’wakw-inspired imagery. The watercolour edition depicts seaside stillness with a somber Northwest Coast light. After returning from her trip to France in 1911, Carr reworked this watercolour into a larger-scale oil on canvas painting, incorporating the vigorous visual language and “new way of seeing” she had cultivated from her trip abroad. Her shift to an expressive use of vivid colour and bold brushwork creates an unconventional, light-filled mood with a dynamism not seen in the earlier work on paper. 

“Having these two works in the AAM’s collection is a tremendous privilege. Visitors will be treated to a compelling viewing opportunity of the two works together, which is a valuable resource for understanding and analyzing Carr’s fundamental development as an artist.” - Dr. Curtis Collins, AAM Director & Chief Curator

The acquisition of such a seminal piece of Canadian art history was made possible by the continued generosity of Museum Founders Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa.

“This early watercolour is particularly significant as it directly informed the later oil painting, War Canoes, Alert Bay of 1912. Yoshiko and I spent many years enjoying the vibrant oil on canvas before donating it to the Museum nearly a decade ago. To now have both pictures housed together permanently contributes to the unparalleled quality of the Museum’s Emily Carr collection.” - Michael Audain

Living and working in Victoria, BC, Emily Carr faced challenges in gaining critical acceptance as an artist during her lifetime. The 1912 oil on canvas War Canoes, Alert Bay became the first work by a Canadian female painter to sell for over one million dollars in 2000, setting a monumental record in the Canadian art market.

Sure to delight enthusiasts of the visual arts, the public can experience both masterpieces together at the Audain Art Museum in Whistler beginning Thursday, October 17. The Museum is open Thursdays through Mondays from 11am to 6pm.