Canadian art treasure comes home

King of the Castle by Canadian painter William Kurelek

A little-seen winter scene by Canadian painter William Kurelek will have its Canadian premiere next week in Winnipeg after being in a private collection in England for 50 years.

King of the Castle, valued at $300,000, was bought by Winnipeg's Mayberry Fine Art last year after its unnamed owner in Britain had sought an appraisal of it from the dealer.



Last seen in public in 1990 at Canada House in London as part of an exhibition devoted to work Mr. Kurelek completed in England, King of the Castle will be at the Mayberry dealership Nov. 14-28.

In 2011, it will be among 80 paintings featured in the first substantial Kurelek retrospective in more than 25 years, at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

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A life in pictures

1927 William Kurelek is born near Whitford, Alta., the oldest of seven children in a farming family.1952 Mr. Kurelek goes to Britain, seeks psychological help for emotional problems and chronic pain. He is hospitalized.1958 Around this time, Mr. Kurelek painted this quintessential prairie scene King of the Castle in England.1959 Just before Mr. Kurelek returns to Canada, King of the Castle is given as a farewell gift to the now-deceased wife of the current owner.1977 Mr. Kurelek dies in Toronto.