Joanne Tod (b. 1953) is a renowned Canadian artist acclaimed for her unwavering approach to realism, technical precision, and critical wit. She is also one of the country's most celebrated living portrait artists.
Tod's museum-centred work is driven by her exploration of proprietary and moral rights in relation to antiquities and museum holdings. These paintings address the idea of historical displacement by situating removed objects in their display cases. The museum paradox is critical for Tod as a painter; she contends with the reality that a place born out of theft is now a repository for beautiful things. This notion of simultaneous homage and critique is a recurring theme throughout her oeuvre.
As is typical for her, Tod's mastery in depicting light is evident in this painting. Spots on the amphora's top indicate overhead spotlights which in turn cast multidirectional shadows onto its plinth. Ambient lighting from the next room offers an inviting deep space, despite the supposed focus being the terra cotta figure depicted on the vessel. While the vitrine's glass is clearly depicted, the tessellations do not detract from or overwhelm the composition. Though filled with reflective surfaces that could verge on the distracting or excessive, Tod achieves a quiet balance, offering a scene that is both calm and welcoming.
Marked first by verisimilitude, Tod's paintings reveal layers of meaning in time, offering an intellectual satisfaction or ambiguity and paradox to her audience. The museum paintings balance critique and homage, as she questions systems of display, ownership, and authority while celebrating the beauty of objects and the subtleties of pattern and light.
Joanne Tod's works can be found in most major public institutions across Canada, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), and the MusĂ©e des beaux-arts de MontrĂ©al.Â
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Untitled (Outstretched Arm)
Canada, 2025
Oil on canvas
36"H 27"W
Signed, titled, and dated, verso
Very good condition
Note: The price is $24,500 CAD
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