Original Photograph By John Reeves.
Toronto, N.D. John Reeves, 1965.
1st Edition. 11" x 14" original silverprint portrait (landscape orientation) by celebrated Canadian photographer John Reeves, signed by Reeves at the lower right and neatly titled on the border. In fine condition.
The image shows Al Purdy, dubbed Canada’s “unofficial poet laureate,” casually sitting in his yard before his now-famous A-frame cabin near Belleville, Ontario. In the foreground rests a photograph of his wife, Eurithe, holding a drink and smoking a cigarette — a telling glimpse into the personal and creative world of one of Canada’s greatest poets.
Purdy, who burst onto the national literary scene with POEMS FOR ALL THE ANNETTES (1962), went on to win the Governor General’s Award twice — first in 1965 for THE CARIBOO HORSES, the very year this photograph was taken, and again in 1986 for THE COLLECTED POEMS OF AL PURDY. Over his career he published 34 books of poetry and became one of the most recognizable voices in Canadian literature.
This photograph was later highlighted in the National Post (Peter Kuitenbrouwer, April 17, 2012) in an article about preserving the Purdy cabin as a writers’ retreat, a campaign championed by Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, Leonard Cohen, and others who admired Purdy’s work and often visited the A-frame.
A striking and intimate portrait by Reeves — whose signed prints are scarce — capturing Purdy at the heart of his creative life, and offering a powerful association between two pillars of Canadian culture.
Item #34186 Price: US$675.00