Maxwell Bates

b. 1906 Calgary, A.B. d. 1980 Victoria, B.C.

Culture

Canadian

Bio

Maxwell Bates was born in Calgary on December 14, 1906.

He studied under Lars Haukaness at the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art in Calgary, from 1926 to 1927. However, Bates was mainly self taught. He and W. L. Stevenson paired up to study impressionist and post-impressionist painting. They met twice a week to discuss what they learned about French painting. In 1928, Bates' abstracts first appeared. In that year, because their pieces were too modern, Bates and Stevenson were banned from exhibiting with the Calgary Art Club. In 1929, Bates and Stevenson made a trip to the Art Institute of Chicago to study impressionist and post-impressionist paintings, the work of Cezanne, Seurat, Van Gogh, and Monet.

In 1931, Bates went to England to study painting and architecture. From 1932 to 1939, he was a member of the "Twenties Group". When World War II broke out, he enlisted with the British Army; he served from 1940 to 1945.He was imprisoned and his book A Wilderness of Days describes his experience. After the War ended, he returned to Calgary for a short time. In 1949 he attended the Brooklyn Museum Art School, until 1950.

Bates collected Japanese colour prints. He also developed an interest in the philosophy of art, and wrote a series of articles about it in "Canadian Art" and other periodicals. His drawing was influenced by Michelangelo and Rembrandt, and his painting by Goya, Daumier, J.L. Forain, and post-impressionism. His street scenes, landscapes, still lifes are romantic. He primarily worked with oil, watercolour, chalk, and pen and ink. He also produced lithography. Bates, with A.W. Hodges, co-designed St. Mary's Cathedral in Calgary. He was also a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Art .

He passed away in Victoria in 1980.

Artworks

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Title	Date Made	Place Made	Collections	Materials	Measurements	Edition	Credit Line
Circus People	1969	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	Oil	overall: 76.50 cm x 92.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Purchased with assistance of the University of Victoria Art Acquisition Fund
Figures at a Table	1968	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 51.00 cm x 38.30 cm x 0.00 cm	34/50	Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Maxwell Bates
Departure	1963	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Watercolour	overall: 45.00 cm x 53.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Myfanwy Spencer Pavelic
Untitled (Street and Buildings)	n.d.	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	watercolour	overall: 51.00 cm x 58.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Landscape, Victoria, B.C.	1967	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	Oil	overall: 44.50 cm x 54.50 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Myfanwy Spencer Pavelic
Cock and Hen	1955	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Lithograph	overall: 40.50 cm x 50.50 cm x 0.00 cm	1/14	Gift of Dr. Myfanwy Spencer Pavelic
Dingle House Restaurant, Victoria	1971	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	Oil	overall: 59.5 cm x 74.5 cm x 2.5 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Untitled (Chess Game)	1933	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	oil	overall: 43.20 cm x 53.30 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Yellow Reception	1972	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	Oil	overall: 60.00 cm x 76.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Myfanwy Spencer Pavelic
Parade in the Graveyard	1965	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	Oil on canvas	overall: 122.30 cm x 152.50 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Purchased with assistance of the University of Victoria Art Acquisition Fund
Still Life With Checked Cloth	1977	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	Oil	overall: 47.50 cm x 37.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Myfanwy Spencer Pavelic
Untitled (Village Scene)	n.d.	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	oil	overall: 32.50 cm x 77.50 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Untitled (Blue Facets)	n.d.	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Board	oil	overall: 122.00 cm x 36.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
School Children	c.1970	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	Oil	overall: 54.00 cm x 64.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Myfanwy Spencer Pavelic
Beggar King	1973	-	Works on Cloth	oil	overall: 39.00 cm x 28.80 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Churchyard in B.C.	1969	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	Oil	overall: 49.00 cm x 60.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Untitled (Portrait of a Girl)	n.d.	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	oil	overall: 79.40 cm x 43.70 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Restaurant	1974	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Watercolour	overall: 30.5 cm x 46 cm x 0 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Myfanwy Spencer Pavelic
Classical Woman (Muse)	1951	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Board	oil	overall: 43.20 cm x 33.50 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Untitled (Charlotte Bates)	1978	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	oil	overall: 77.00 cm x 61.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Sunset in Victoria	1976	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	oil	overall: 39.00 cm x 49.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Beggar King	n.d.	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Board	oil	overall: 39.00 cm x 29.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Rithet's Swamp	1974	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	Oil	overall: 49.50 cm x 59.60 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Myfanwy Spencer Pavelic
Shaw Johan, Victoria	1977	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	watercolour; tempera paint	overall: 55.00 cm x 75.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Untitled (Abstract Face)	1963	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Watercolour, ink	overall: 41.50 cm x 28.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Winter Trees	n.d.	-	Works on Board	oil	overall: 61.00 cm x 76.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Self Portrait	1965	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	Acrylic; Mixed Media	overall: 93.00 cm x 123.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Purchased with assistance of the University of Victoria Art Acquisition Fund
Three Vases	1957	-	Works on Paper	Serigraph	overall: 35.50 cm x 37.50 cm x 0.00 cm	1/12	Purchased with assistance of the University of Victoria Art Acquisition Fund
Chess Players	1974	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Ink; Wash	frame: 73.6 cm x 58.4 cm x 0 cm; image size: 50 cm x 35 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Myfanwy Spencer Pavelic
The Tavern	1977	-	Works on Paper	Watercolour; emboss	overall: 36.70 cm x 58.50 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Bruce L. and Mrs. Dorothy E. Brown
Two Girls	c. 1960	-	Works on Board	Oil	overall: 75.00 cm x 61.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Woman with Hat (Portrait of Charlotte Bates)	1978	-	Works on Cloth	Oil	overall: 73.70 cm x 106.70 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Scarecrow	1961	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Watercolour	overall: 34.00 cm x 47.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Myfanwy Spencer Pavelic
Mediterranean Landscape	1976	-	Works on Paper	Watercolour	overall: 46.00 cm x 66.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Myfanwy Spencer Pavelic
Conversation	1955	Calgary, Alberta, Canada	Works on Paper	Print; lithograph	overall: 35.00 cm x 25.50 cm x 0.00 cm	2/5	Gift of Patrick and Janette M. George
Sandwich Lady	1975	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	oil	overall: 60.00 cm x 49.50 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Cirque Medrano, Paris	1966	Canada	Works on Paper	Lithograph	overall: 50.30 cm x 62.20 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Purchased with assistance of the University of Victoria Art Acquisition Fund
Untitled (Abstract)	c.1965	-	Works on Paper	Pastel	overall: 29.20 cm x 40.30 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Bruce L. and Mrs. Dorothy E. Brown
Fleur de Lis	1968	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	Oil	overall: 79.00 cm x 63.50 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Myfanwy Spencer Pavelic
Mother and Child	1958	-	Works on Paper	Colour lithograph	overall: 45.80 cm x 33.10 cm x 0.00 cm	4/6	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Marriage	c. 1968	-	Works on Paper	mixed media (watercolour, graphite, printing paint)	overall: 43.00 cm x 30.30 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Untitled (Rooftops, Smoke Stacks, and Sky)	n.d.	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Board	oil	overall: 32.00 cm x 40.50 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Schoenlaterngasse, Vienna	1959	-	Works on Paper	Oil pastel	overall: 31.50 cm x 30.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Washerwomen	1959	Canada	Works on Board	Oil	overall: 60.70 cm x 76.50 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Purchased with assistance of the University of Victoria Art Acquisition Fund
Mother and Child	1958	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Lithograph	overall: 39.50 cm x 31.10 cm x 0.00 cm	1/6	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Chess Players	1926	British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	Graphite	overall: 23.50 cm x 27.30 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of Dr. Myfanwy Spencer Pavelic
Workmen (Lunch Hour)	c. 1957	-	Works on Cloth	Oil	overall: 75.00 cm x 95.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Picnic	1975	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	Oil	overall: 49.00 cm x 60.00 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Coffee Counter	n.d.	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Cloth	oil	overall: 44.00 cm x 37.50 cm x 0.00 cm	-	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams
Untitled (Children on the Beach)	July 1965	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	Works on Paper	screen print on paper	overall: 51.50 cm x 74.00 cm x 0.00 cm	A.P.	Gift of the Estate of Michael C. Williams

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Name (English only)

Maxwell Bates

Brief_Bio

b. 1906 Calgary, A.B. d. 1980 Victoria, B.C.

Artist Detail - v3

Artworks