International Art Treasures Web Magazine

December 2005  

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A Journey with E. J. Hughes

Jacques Barbeau loves art! That is the obvious conclusion from his narrative surrounding his acquisitions of several works by British Columbian artist E. J. Hughes.

Unable to afford the pricier oil works the collector begins with preliminary drawings. Most, but not all, artists do produce sketches before putting paintbrush to canvas. It was here that one of the finest E J Hughes collections began and spans several decades.

The trek travels through the noted art dealers of Canada such as Michael Moreault and David Heffel.

The author concedes this is not the definitive work on Hughes, instead he refers the reader to E. J. Hughes by Ian Thom.

A Journey with E. J. Hughes is specific to Barbeau's art collection and collecting. One of the best sections is the final chapter with the author's decision to reframe some of the works including his latest purchase Painter's Mother. It is a delight to wander through the trials of finding a good framer who can add to the aesthetics of the work rather than the traditional "faked gold moulding".

The book is filled with art images and seeing the two framed versions such as Qualicum Beach in its original frame of 1998 and its much improved version of 2003 demonstrates effectively the point Barbeau makes. It is a beautiful essay on the importance of not using tradition to dictate aesthetics but work with the painting itself. Barbeau went so far as to encourage the frame makers to sign their work, on the back of the frame, for their creation is art too.