60. Colin McCahon 1919 - 1987
Numbers, intended tail-pieces for 'Landfall' - A Pair
Watercolour and pencil
25 x 20 cm
Signed & dated 1958
est. $15,000 - 25,000
Fetched $14,500
Relative Size: Numbers, intended tail-pieces for 'Landfall' - A Pair
Relative size

Provenance: Estate of Kim Wright represented by Barry Lett Galleries, Auckland Sold to Robin Maconie (United Kingdom), 1968 Acquired from the above by present vendor, c. 1990

Illustrated p 132 Colin McCahon: Artist Gordon H Brown, Reed Books, 1984

Gordon H Brown confirms that these works were completed in 1952, not 1958 as later dated by the artist. In his letter to Charles Brasch dated 8 February 1953, Colin McCahon thanks Brasch for returning his Landfall drawings and voices regret that Brasch has chosen not to include them for publication. McCahon later told Gordon H Brown that Brasch had kept them for at least six months.

The work titled Two (Numbers One to Five Series), 1958, Collection of Auckland Art Gallery illustrated p 133 Colin McCahon: Artist Gordon H Brown, Reed Books, 1984 is also incorrectly dated.

A photocopied letter from Colin McCahon to Charles Brasch dated December 1952 is available on request. A letter from Charles Brasch to Colin McCahon dated 8 February, 1953 is also available. Hocken Library Archives.

"My use of numbers is a recurring theme..."

"I've tried to give them a very definite purpose, both in their shapes and really what numbers say, and numbers do say a hell of a lot. They mark a time and a place: and I think this is important.."

Colin McCahon,1969

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