Shadbolt was born in 1909 in England, but developed himself as a prominent artist and teacher in Vancouver in the 1930s, retiring in 1966. Shadbolt has received honourary LL.D. from Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Victoria. He received the Order of Canada in 1972, and was made Freeman of the City of Vancouver in 1990.
Shadbolt’s early influences came from Emily Carr, but his travels and studies have also given him inspiration from various other artists and groups, most notably Joan Miró and Picasso. However various others like: the schools of Paris, British Surrealists Paul Nash and Graham Sutherland, Cézanne, Mexican muralists, American Social Realists and Abstract Expressionists have also influenced Shadbolt in various stages of his career.
Throughout Shadbolt’s career he has use Coast Indian imagery, sparked by Emily Carr, but also due to the fact that it is a visual narrative, a story telling.
The painting is acrylic on canvas with dimensions:
left panel: 117 x 94.5 cm
centre panel: 128.5 x 94.5 cm
right panel: 117 x 94.5 cm
This piece is part of the collection of the Vancouver Art Gallery, Gift of RBC Dominion Securities.
I highly suggest reading a bibliography of Shadbolt off the VAG site: http://
