HAROLD TOWN "FRENCH POSTCARD #1" INK DRAWING, 1971

Harold Town (1924-1990) is renowned across Canada for his eclectic and dynamic body of work. Town remains one of the most noted and fascinating characters from the "Painters Eleven" group, and is noted as have named the famed group (based on the number of artists who attended their first meeting!). His output was diverse and ever-changing. Despite being a major contributor to developments in 20th-century Canadian abstraction, he also completed a significant amount of figurative works beginning in the 1970s. Town worked on the French Postcard work between 1971-74. Bound by the subject matter, the series offered the artist an avenue to challenge his expansive imagination and unwavering commitment to his artistic evolution. The varied interpretations of the French postcards solidified his reputation as a master draftsman. The work is based on a French postcard featuring a nude woman walking alongside a penny-farthing. Rendered with black ink on white board, the figures emerge from the composition, their bodies morphing with the inky background. With limbs being cut short and legs merging together, the women offer only a hint of a bicycle's presence. Though their bodies act in tandem to suggest, when taking a step back, an overall bicycle-like form ... See other examples from the French Postcard series here and here. Today, Town's work is represented in prestigious collections across North America including the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Museum of Modern Art (New York), and the Guggenheim (New York). Questions about this piece? Contact us, call +1.416.704.1720, or visit our Toronto gallery. "French Postcard" (Girls with Bicycles) Canada, c. 1971 Ink on board Estate Stamp, verso 8"H 9.5"W (work) Very good condition Provenance: The Estate of Harold Town (inventory no. 3714) Note: price is $950 CAD.