37 x 49 in (94 x 124.5 cm) including frame
William Goodridge Roberts occupies a distinct position in twentieth-century Canadian modernism. Following his training at the Art Students League in New York under John Sloan and Max Weber, Roberts returned to Canada and pursued a painterly aesthetic centered on Cézannian structure, French Post-Impressionism, and direct tonal relationships. He stood apart from the dominant nationalist landscape style of the Group of Seven, establishing himself instead as an early and prominent member of John Lyman’s Contemporary Arts Society in Montreal. In 1952, he was chosen alongside Emily Carr, David Milne, and Alfred Pellan to represent Canada at its inaugural pavilion at the Venice Biennale. In addition to his studio practice, Roberts was an influential educator. As the first resident artist at Queen’s University in the 1930s, and later through teaching at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts’ School of Art and Design, he helped introduce modern formalist principles to a generation of Canadian artists.
Measuring 36 by 48 inches, Still Life with Yellow Flowers is an expansive studio composition executed during the height of Roberts’s mature period. The tabletop arrangement is constructed with varied everyday objects: a central brown vase holding bright yellow flowers, a stack of books, an open catalogue, fruit arranged on plates and bowls, a teapot, and scattered foliage. Dominating the wall above the table is a landscape painting, Roberts's own Midsummer Laurentians, which functions as a composition-within-a-composition and anchors the spatial backdrop. Rather than treating the elements as static objects, Roberts approaches the scene as a network of interlocking color masses and energetic brushstrokes, balancing deep blues, earthy ochres, and vivid yellows against a cool, muted interior.
The painting carries distinguished personal provenance. In 1966, Roberts gave the work directly to his wife, Joan Roberts (1922–2018), reflecting the personal significance he attributed to the piece. It remained in her private collection for more than five decades until her death in 2018, before entering the market via Galerie Eric Klinkhoff. Documented in Hugues de Jouvancourt’s 1984 monograph and featured prominently on the Art Gallery of Ontario’s 1980–1981 touring exhibition, the work unites Roberts’s two primary genres—still life and the Laurentian landscape—making it a definitive statement of his painterly vision and one of his most accomplished studio compositions of the 1960s.
The Artist;
Mrs. Joan Roberts (1922-2018), wife of the artist, by gift, 1966
Estate of the above, 2018
Galerie Eric Klinkhoff, Montreal
Private Collection, Winnipeg
Goodridge Robert Inventory No. 901
"Goodridge Roberts Memorial Exhibition", Woltjen-Udell Gallery, Edmonton, 1979
"Goodridge Robert - Painitngs from the 1950s and 60s",
Organized and circulated by the Art Gallery of Ontario Exhibition Services 1980-1981.
Simcoe Friendship Festival, Lynnwood Arts Centre, Simcoe, Ontario;
Spectrum '80, Laurentian University Museum and Arts Centre, Sudbury, Ontario;
Art Gallery of Cobourg, Cobourg, Ontario;
Rodman Hall Arts Centre, St. Catherines, Ontario;
The Art Gallery of Peterborough, Peterborough, Ontario;
Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery and Museum of Fine Art, Owen Sound, Ontario;
Burlington Cultural Centre, Burlington, Ontario;
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario;
Catalogue No. 20
Illustrated: "Goodridge Roberts", Hugues De Jouvancourt, Montreal, 1984, illustrated in colour p. 131.
William Goodridge Roberts
William Goodridge Roberts was a prominent Canadian painter recognized for his contributions to landscape, still life, and figure painting. Born on September 24, 1904, in Bridgetown, Barbados, he moved to Fredericton, New Brunswick, at a young age. His family background was literary, as his father was the poet Theodore Goodridge Roberts and his uncle was the poet Charles G.D. Roberts. Roberts initially pursued artistic training at the École des beaux-arts de Montréal in 1923, before continuing his studies at the Art Students League of New York, where he studied under John Sloan and Max Weber.
Throughout the 1930s, Roberts settled in Montreal and became an active participant in the city's burgeoning modern art community. He joined the Contemporary Arts Society (CAS) and was a founding member of the Canadian Group of Painters (CGP). His practice during this period focused on developing a distinct approach to the Canadian landscape, moving away from the nationalistic styles prevalent at the time toward a more personal, contemplative interpretation of nature. He drew significant inspiration from the topography of the Laurentian Mountains and the Georgian Bay region.
Roberts held various teaching positions throughout his career, which shaped his influence on subsequent generations of Canadian artists. From 1930 to 1932, he taught at the Queen’s University summer school, and later, he served as a professor at the École des beaux-arts de Montréal from 1939 to 1943. In 1959, he was appointed the first artist-in-residence at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, a role he maintained until 1960. His pedagogical approach emphasized the importance of observation and the structural integrity of the painted composition.
His later career was characterized by a focus on still life subjects and figure studies, often executed with a refined palette and an interest in the tactile qualities of paint. His work received broad institutional recognition, and in 1952, he was selected as one of four artists to represent Canada at the Venice Biennale. Roberts continued to paint and exhibit until his death in Montreal on January 28, 1974. Today, his work is preserved in the permanent collections of major public institutions, including the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Major Fall Fine Art Auction
November 12 - December 3, 2026
661 Wall St, Winnipeg MB
(204) 255-5690
mayberryfineart.com
[email protected]
Contact us to make an appointment to preview this item or to sell similar works.
|
Bidding Range
|
Increment
|
|---|---|
| $0.00 - $50.00 | $1.00 |
| $50.00 - $100.00 | $5.00 |
| $100.00 - $500.00 | $10.00 |
| $500.00 - $1,000.00 | $25.00 |
| $1,000.00 - $2,500.00 | $50.00 |
| $2,500.00 - $10,000.00 | $100.00 |
| $10,000.00 - $20,000.00 | $200.00 |
| $20,000.00 - $50,000.00 | $500.00 |
| $50,000.00 - $100,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| $100,000.00 - $300,000.00 | $5,000.00 |
| $300,000.00 - $1,000,000.00 | $10,000.00 |
| $1,000,000.00 - $2,000,000.00 | $25,000.00 |
| $2,000,000.00+ | $50,000.00 |
Login or register a BidLots.com account to participate in any auction. Track specific lots and artists with real-time notifications on all bidding activity.
Bidding approval requires three simple steps:
1. Create a Bid Lots account
2. Confirm your email address
3. Create a valid billing profile
Bid Lots and/or the auctioneer may choose to revoke your bidding privileges if your account is not in good standing or your activity is in conflict with our standard terms and conditions of sale.
The buyer’s premium is an additional percentage charged to the winning bidder. The buyer’s premiums may vary from auction to auction, typically ranging from 10% to 20%. Buyer’s premiums will be displayed on detailed lot listings and paddle registration forms.
Bidding begins at the reserve price and advances at set increments based on the bidding range. The specific bidding increments may vary from auction to auction, however the next bid and subsequent increments will always be clearly defined on detailed lot listings. Maximum Bids and Single Bids can only be placed within the pre-defined bidding increments ensuring that no two bidders can place identical bids on an item. View individual lot detail pages to see a complete range of bidding increments for that item.
Requests to cancel a single bid are at the sole descretion of the auctioneer. Maximum bids can be increased but cannot be decreased unless premitted by the auctioneer. Requests to cancel a bid or to alter a maximum bid will be denied if the specific lot is scheduled to close in less than 24 hours or if the lot has significant interest or activity.
To request that a bid be cancelled or to change a maximum bid use the "Ask a question" button on the detailed lot listing.
You will receive an email notification when you have successfully won an auction. You will also see the item listed on your "Bidding Results" page and if you are logged into the site you will see a highlighted message on the auction catalogue pages and auction listings.
Shipping requirements may vary on different items depending on location and size or weight of an item. When registering for a specific auction you will be provided options to clarify your preferred shipping instructions. The auctioneer will also review and provide specific shipping quotes or options following the close of an auction. If you have specific shipping requirements or are unsure of the shipping constraints on a specific item please contact the auctioneer prior to bidding.
Following the close of an auction the auctioneer will provide a detailed invoice for all items you have won. They may contact you before a final invoice is prepared to confirm or review specific shipping instructions. Payment is due once a final invoice is provided and can be submitted online by credit card, or made by EFT (Electronic Fund Transfer), bank draft or international wire transfer. Any outstanding balance will be automatically charged to your registered credit card 5 days following the close of an auction.