Last chance ALEX COLVILLE "BORDER COLLIE" SILKSCREEN, 1973

Alex Colville (1920-2013) is one of the titans of figurative Canadian art. Working across mediums, Colville is a revered painter, draughtsman, engraver, and muralist. He is one of the few Canadian artists whose auction record is above $2 million. 

Spending his life and career in Nova Scotia, Colville is renowned for his atmospheric depictions, frequently portraying his family, domestic animals, and scenes of Atlantic Canada. Despite the degree of familiarity throughout his oeuvre, his work is often characterized by a visceral sense of mystery.

This intimate and iconic print features a vigilant Border Collie, its mouth curled into a gentle grimace as its amber eyes fixate ahead. Meanwhile, a flock of sheep grazes peacefully in the background, perhaps a result of the dog's herding efforts.

Pastoral scenes are an important and recurring motif throughout Colville's oeuvre, often using domestic animals to heighten the mystery of his ominous depictions. Click here for another example.

Today, Colville's work is enjoyed internationally in collections of major institutions and galleries around the world including the Art Gallery of Ontario, Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris), Museum Boymans-van Beuningen (Rotterdam), and the Museum Ludwig (Cologne).

Questions about this piece? Contact us or call +1.416.704.1720 

"Border Collie" 

Canada, 1973

Silkscreen printed in color

Signed, dated, and numbered bottom right

From an edition of 500

4.75"H 4.75"W (sheet)

Very good condition.

Michael Bell, Colville, Being Seen, The Serigraphs, Carleton University Art Gallery, Ottawa, 1994, p. 42 for Border Collie, reproduced

Note: price $5,500 CAD