John Gould "Burden Carrier" Ink Wash

Updated September 5, 2026

Lot number	237
Estimate	400.00 - 600.00 CAD
Auction	IMPORTANT CANADIAN ART AUCTION Wednesday Sept 16th 7pm
Date	September 16, 2026 at 6:59 PM EDT
Auction house	Erin Auctions
Location	Erin

Artist: John Gould (Canadian, 1929–2010) Title: Burden Carrier Medium: Ink and wash on paper Sight: Approx. 4.5 × 10.5 in. Framed: Approx. 13 × 18 in. Inscription: “GOULD” upper left Provenance: Roberts Gallery Limited, Toronto; original gallery label verso, A compelling original figurative drawing by noted Canadian draughtsman John Gould, depicting a solitary figure enveloped beneath an enormous burden. The face emerges from an intricate mass of fabric or bundled material, rendered through Gould's characteristic dense cross-hatching and vigorous linear work. The unusually wide horizontal composition intensifies the sense of physical weight surrounding the figure. Gould's expressive handling of ink transforms a relatively small work into a psychologically charged image concerned with endurance, struggle and the human figure. Artist Biography John Gould (1929–2010) was a Toronto-born Canadian artist, draughtsman, filmmaker and educator recognized particularly for his lifelong commitment to drawing. He studied at the Ontario College of Art from 1948–1952 and later at the Académie Julian in Paris. His work is distinguished by expressive figurative imagery, intricate line and extensive cross-hatching. Gould received an Elizabeth T. Greenshields Foundation award in 1960 and was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1973. He exhibited extensively in Canada and the United States, and his association with Roberts Gallery lasted more than 40 years. His artistic practice also extended to filmmaking; his short film Little Monday was screened at the Venice Biennale in 1966.

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