A fine and interesting Canadian pastel landscape by the artist Berthe des Clayes (1877-1968). The work is titled ‘Autumn by the creek’ and is exactly that with a rich use of bold pastels to accentuate the seasonal colours. The technique is typical of the artist being free and quick using thick pieces of pastel. The work is signed to the lower right; ‘B des Clayes’. Berthe des Clayes (1877-1968) is most well known for her portraits and Impressionist-style landscapes of which this is an excellent example. She was the eldest of the Des Clayes sisters all of which were artists of note. Berthe travelled between Canada and England throughout her life but her art is most closely associated with the former. Her early studies took place at the Bushey School of Art in England and the Académie Julian in Paris where she studied under Tony Robert-Fleury and Jules Lefebvre. A versatile artist, she worked in oils, watercolours and pastels and won the Jessie Dow Prize twice. Her fondness for the Canad...