Accession Number

983.782b

Description

A watercolour painting depicting a Garry oak meadow, the foreground open grassland with a pathway through it at right, at mid-ground a group of Garry oak trees with two prominent examples at centre, the background consisting of tree and bush foliage, mountains in the distance at left, the sky blue and mixed clouds.

Narrative

This important watercolor was given to The Castle Society in the 1960’s.

The donor James Guy Payne Audain said the title was Oak Trees, Beacon Hill Park. It was was auctioned as Lot #599 from the second floor hall of Hatley Park in 1939. The catalogue for that sale listed the picture as Oil Painting, "The Oaks", by Mower Martin, R.C.A. The discrepancy in the title and medium used on this picture has yet to be explained. 

The artist, T. Mower Martin (1838-1934) RCA, was also illustrator of a book in the Craigdarroch Castle Collection: (see 2009.19.8).

History of Use

James Audain stated that the painting hung in the main hall at Hatley Park, the residence of his grandparents, James and Laura Dunsmuir in Victoria.¹

1. The Daily Colonist, March 27, 1969.

Date

circa 1900

Dimensions

48.5 x 60.6 cm

Artwork Title

undetermined - two published sources describe the title differently - one as "Oak Trees, Beacon Hill Park" and the other as "The Oaks"

Subject/Image

Gary Oak meadow

Medium

Watercolour

Support

Paper

Inscription

on the verso, in India ink written on old backing paper:

Unsigned Sketch 
by 
T. Mower Martin RCA
"The Oaks" 
Beacon Hill
Victoria
B.C.

Country of Origin

Canada