Visitation on Braggs Island | 1997 | Etching 65 of 75
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This item is located in Edmonton, AB Canada.
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Visitation on Braggs Island | 1997 | Etching 65 of 75
David Blackwood
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West End Gallery
Address
10337 124 Street NWEdmonton, AB T5N 1R1
Canada
Phone
(780) 488-4892Gallery Hours
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
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About the Artwork
Visitation on Bragg's Island (1997) is an etching and aquatint by David Blackwood (1941–2022), capturing the moment of arrival—a wooden boat approaching a stagehead where figures wait to receive visitors. The composition shows a family group on the weathered dock: a woman and child stand at the platform's edge, a man sits on wooden planks, and another figure emerges from the small building behind them. The boat carries several passengers navigating the final distance to shore. The scene unfolds beneath a dramatic Prussian blue and grey sky, the water rendered in deep aquatint tones that suggest the weight and depth of Bonavista Bay.
Bragg's Island, located sixteen miles out in Bonavista Bay north of Wesleyville, was home to Blackwood's maternal grandparents. In his 1991 letter about his grandfather, the artist recalled the island's rhythms: "a daily ritual early every morning and late afternoon" of hauling cod traps, the comings and goings that structured outport life.1 The stagehead served as threshold between isolation and connection—where boats arrived with news, supplies, visitors, or the return of family members from fishing grounds. This print captures that charged moment of visitation, when figures scan the water and the distance closes.
The composition emphasizes waiting and approach: the woman and child poised at the dock's edge, the seated man patient in his stillness, the boat still separated by a final stretch of dark water. Blackwood's aquatint technique gives the water remarkable depth, appearing almost black in the foreground, while the sky's sweeping tones create atmospheric drama. The staging is both specific—this precise place, these particular people—and universal, documenting the ritual of arrival that structured island life across generations.
Dimensions and Details
- Title: Visitation on Bragg's Island
- Artist: David Blackwood (1941–2022)
- Year: 1997
- Size: 20" x 16" (50.8 x 40.6 cm)
- Medium: Etching and aquatint on paper
- Edition: 65/75
- Condition: Pristine. This impression has never been displayed and remains in museum-quality condition. Stored in archival darkness since creation, the Prussian blue tones retain full intensity, the aquatint water shows complete tonal gradations from deep blacks to subtle greys, and the paper remains bright white. Colours are noticeably more vibrant than works exposed to ambient light. Professionally framed; signed and numbered by the artist.
Acquisition Enquiries
Visitation on Bragg's Island is offered exclusively through West End Gallery. Serious acquisition enquiries are welcome. We invite you to contact us directly to arrange a private viewing. Layaway options are available upon request. Shipping is quoted based on location; local delivery within Edmonton and surrounding communities is complimentary.
Citations
- David Blackwood, letter to West End Gallery, August 12, 1991. West End Gallery Archive.
Accessibility Description
The composition shows a wooden stagehead or dock extending into dark water. On the dock platform, four figures are positioned: a woman in a long dress or coat stands at the front edge holding a young child, both facing toward the water; a man sits on the wooden planks to their right; and another figure stands near the entrance to a small shed-like building at the back of the dock. The building has horizontal siding and a single visible door.
In the water approaching the dock, a wooden boat carries several passengers—at least three figures are visible, with one standing at what appears to be the bow. The boat is perhaps twenty to thirty feet from the dock. The water is rendered in deep Prussian blue and near-black aquatint tones, creating a sense of depth and weight. Ripples and wave patterns are suggested through tonal gradations.
The sky occupies the upper third of the composition, showing sweeping diagonal bands of grey clouds with lighter breaks suggesting filtered daylight. The overall palette is cool: deep blues, greys, and blacks dominate, with subtle warmer tones in the weathered wood of the dock structure. The aquatint technique creates rich tonal transitions throughout. The work is signed and dated by the artist in the lower margin. Medium: etching and aquatint on paper.
Full Provenance
- 1997: Created by David Blackwood
- 1997: Edition of 75 published
- 1997–Present: Private collection; never displayed; stored in archival conditions; offered through West End Gallery, Edmonton
Disclaimer
This description has been prepared by West End Gallery using original documentation and current scholarship. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, minor variations or additional information may emerge through ongoing research. Prospective purchasers are encouraged to contact us to confirm any details critical to their acquisition decision.
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