WATCH ABOVE: Vancouver art collector Jacques Barbeau has amassed a huge collection of work by the artist EJ Hughes. And as Elaine Yong reports, he’s donating the best to a new gallery in Whistler.
A B.C. man is donating a big chunk of his E.J. Hughes collection to a new art museum in Whistler.
Jacques Barbeau first saw a reproduction of the painting by E.J. Hughes, a famous B.C. artist, in the 1950s on the cover of a phone book.
“It just caught my eyes. The colour was powerful and sensual. It had a real imprint on me,” says Barbeau.
He bought that same painting for $400, years later in 1964.
“There began my fascination with E.J. Hughes which lasted for over 50 years,” he says.
Hughes was an influential B.C. artist. Born in North Vancouver, he spent most of his life painting coastal B.C. landscapes.
Over a lengthy career spanning 70 years, Hughes became renowned for his unique painting style.
He received the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia in recognition of his work.
Many of his paintings have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent years.
“His art grabs you,” says Barbeau. “For me, when I look at it, it is a modicum of serenity. If you look at the paintings fairly carefully, you get a happy feeling. It captures me, caters to my emotion and satisfies my intellect.”
Barbeau now owns 80 original works by Hughes, 50 of which will be donated to the Audain Art Museum currently under construction in Whistler.
The works will be part of a major permanent display at the museum.
Comments