Auction Report Fall 2023

This season, there are certainly reasons to celebrate.

New York City’s major auction houses recently shared that more than two billion dollars of art was sold in November 2023. Those results are remarkable in these uncertain times. 

Compared to that market and others, the Canadian art market is somewhat conservative and undervalued, but there are standouts — and some impressive records set for individual artists. Demand for abstract art continues to soar and the demand for late women artists has accelerated. 

It's very tough to narrow the list, but here are a few that stood out: 

• At Heffel: Jean Paul Riopelle, Sans Titre (Composition #2), 1951, sold for $5,701,250, and the Jean Paul Riopelle, Self, 1959, was estimated to go for $600,000 to $800,000. It sold for $3,901,250. 
• At BYDealers:  Alfred Pellan, Symphonie, 1944, sold for $480,000. It resonates as completely contemporary, 79 years after it was made. 
• At Cowley Abbott: Alex Janvier, Ancient Relics, 1980 was estimated to go for $30,000 to $50,000, and sold for much more — $312,000. It set a record for the artist’s work. 
• Also at Cowley Abbott, Helen Galloway McNicoll, The Chintz Sofa, circa 1912, was estimated to sell for $250,000 to $350,000 and sold for $888,000. It is a well-deserved record for the artist. Although conservative in image, it is such an incredible subject. Somehow I see it as fitting for the season too: quiet and colourful.

My wish is for records to continue to be broken for sales of rare, important, historical, abstract and women’s art across our country — and for these trends to continue. 

Levis Fine Art Auctions: Calgary

The Levis online sale on Nov. 5 featured more than 370 lots, consigned from across the country and featuring two important estates.

Artwork from the collection of the late Calgary businesswoman and philanthropist Dr. Joan Snyder was on offer. Part of her collection was auctioned in the spring and more was auctioned in November, with all proceeds going to the University of Calgary.

The Levis sale also included art from Dr. and Mrs. Maury Van Vliet, sold to benefit The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. 

Sales of note include Fortune Teller by Maxwell Bates, 1973. Estimated to sell for $5,000 to $7,000, it sold for $22,230. Provenance was direct from Bates to one owner.

Similarly, Maxwell Bates, Untitled (still life), 1973, was estimated to sell for $4,000 to $6,000 but went for an impressive $9,360. This quiet, uncommon painting was from the Van Vliet estate. 

A couple of H.G. Glyde pieces, also from the Van Vliet estate, did well, too. H.G. Glyde, Elevators, Vegreville, 1974, is a fine painting, likely from an earlier sketch, and sold for $10,530.

H.G. Glyde, Road Below Rundle, (no date) sold for $16,380. I believe this sketch was painted during Glyde’s tenure at the Banff Centre during the mid-1940s and evolved into a larger canvas in 1951, which was featured on the cover of Painting in Alberta by Karen Wilkin and Sandra Shaul.

Ted Harrison, People of the Lake, 1991, sold for $128,700, a world record (as reported by Levis) for this large later-period painting. It certainly had lively colour and features the stories of the North that Harrison loved to capture.

Illingworth Kerr, Study for O’Hara, Nocturne #2, 1983, sold for $11,115. In the mid-1980s, Kerr revisited his slides and sketches from a trip to O’Hara and produced these images with the distinct nocturnal painting technique that he had developed early in his career. 

Douglas Haynes, Untitled, 96.09.01, (Toledo Series), 1991, sold for $7,020. The buyer of this painting made a brilliant decision. Abstract works by this artist are highly undervalued. Haynes was an exceptional painter and mentor to many.

ManWoman, Jesus Beer Cut Out #1, 1997, sold for $2,106. I have always appreciated the eccentric art of ManWoman. He was one of a kind and a peaceful person. Most of his art production was shown and seen beyond Canada during his time.

Levis owners Cheryl Sonley and Andrea Lowe reported the online platform was busy, as always, and bids came from across the country. Overall results were positive. 

BYDealers: Montreal

As usual, BYDealers presented artworks from important collections, artists and estates. The Art Canadien Important sale took place Nov. 19, with both online and live bidding.

The preview was conveniently in Toronto during Art Toronto, and the collection of artworks was one of the best I have seen from BYDealers. 

Rita Letendre, Les Nuits, 1962, sold for $96,000. Letendre’s artwork from the 1960s still attracts collectors. This painting sold at auction in 2011 for $43,760 so it has increased in value nicely. 

Jean Paul Riopelle, Sans Titre, 1954, went for $192,000. With a Pierre Matisse gallery provenance, this small canvas did well. Paul-Emile Borduas, Chant de Fête, 1955, sold for $192,000. The colourful small painting came with excellent provenance — Equinox Gallery, to a exceptional private collection in Montreal.

William Perehudoff, AC-88-B,1988, one of the best late ’80s paintings I have seen, sold for $21,600.

Yves Gaucher, 2Bs/Psj.a.st 88, 1988, sold for $93,000. This large, quiet, beautiful painting did well and Gaucher deserves this attention. His work has been undervalued.

Alfred Pellan, Symphonie, 1944, sold for $480,000. This extremely rare painting had me intrigued and amazed. Provenance was again the private collection in Montreal.

Françoise Sullivan, Only Red No.1, 2016, $50,400. Such a beautiful work by Sullivan, who recently turned 100 years old. The subtle changes of reds are very calming.

Yves Klein, 1957, La terre bleue, was estimated to go for $30,000 to $40,000. It sold for $69,000. One of the most important French artists in postwar European art, Klein is famous for his use of the colour blue. This small globe was quite something to see in Canada, again with the provenance previously mentioned. 

Anna Torma, Metamorphosis, 2008, sold for $19,200. Of Hungarian descent, Torma now lives in Quebec. Her embroidery and applique are intriguing and filled with life. 

I must also mention the one-man exhibition from the estate of Serge Lemoyne, who died in 1988. It was a wonderful presentation of his work throughout many years. He was full of energy and highly individual.

Heffel: Toronto

Taking place Nov. 23, this sale of postwar and contemporary art was both live and online. Consignments included the Barbeau Owen Foundation Collection; Museum of Contemporary Art Buenos Aires; Aldo Rubino Foundation; and an important private collection from Montreal. 

In terms of artworks, the line-up had numerous stellar pieces, which sold with strong results. I did note, however, a softening in the sales of Jack Bush and some passes on notable works by Andy Warhol and Henry Moore, including a beautiful small bronze of Moore’s famous Family Group public sculpture.

Christopher Pratt, August 1939, 1985, was estimated to sell for $125,000 to $175,000 but sold for $361,250 to an online bidder. This beautiful clear isolated image represents a perfect Pratt painting, with excellent provenance, the Mira Godard Gallery. The sale set a record for his work.

Jean Paul Riopelle, Sans Titre (Composition #2), 1951, sold for $5,701,250. One of the first lots from the private collection in Montreal, the same piece had been sold in 2008 at Heffel for $1,638,000. 

Similarly, Jean Paul Riopelle, Self, 1959, was estimated to go for $600,000 to $800,000. It sold for $3,901,250. This painting, considered to be a self-portrait, sold in 2008 for $468,000.

Obviously, the increase in value for these two Riopelle artworks marks the 100th anniversary of his birth in a big way.

Jean McEwen, Le drapeau inconnu-4^e theme no.21, 1964, sold for $223,250. From the same private collection mentioned earlier, it had been bought in 2008 for $93,600 and the increase in value represents a strong showing for McEwen’s work.

Rita Letendre, Reflet d’avril, 1960, was estimated to sell for $70,000 to $90,000 but sold for $325,250 — an excellent result for an early painting by Letendre.

E.J.Hughes, Mouth of the Courtney River, 2003, was estimated to sell for $40,000 to $60,000 but sold for $457,250. A record for the artist’s watercolour works, this was the first offering from the Barbeau Owen Foundation. Vancouver art collectors Jacques Barbeau and his wife Marguerite have been strong collectors of Hughes’ artwork for many years.

Doris McCarthy, Bylot Glacier with Berg, 1992, sold for $85,250. Created in her studio and likely based on her late-1970s trips to the Arctic, the painting had beautiful depth and quiet light. 

J.W.G. (Jock) MacDonald, Bird and Environment, 1948, sold for $37,250. This rare surreal painting by Jock has been included in almost every major museum collection exhibition of his work in Canada, and is in Joyce Zeman’s book Jock MacDonald: Life and Work. The collector who bought this painting has my admiration. It is worth far more in my view.

Next up was the sale of Canadian Impressionist and Modern art. It went smoothly and sales of historic works sold within estimate and found collectors. 

Emily Carr, Alert Bay (Indian in Yellow Blanket) 1912, estimated to sell for $1.4 to $1.5 million and sold for $1,681,250. It is a wonderful early painting by Carr. Art historian Gerta Moray has written a fascinating investigation of the place and subject in the Heffel catalogue.

Henrietta Mabel May, Indian Women, Oka, circa 1927, sold for $34,250. Such a sensitive powerful image. The artist’s work was included in the Un-Invited exhibition which travelled Canada last year. 

A.J. Casson, Poplar, 1950, was estimated to sell for $125,000 to $175,000 but sold for $391,250. It was a commission by the Canadian Pulp and Paper Association, Ottawa in 1950, and the drama, light and deep colours make up what I consider a great Casson painting. The abstraction goes well beyond the landscape because of a technique he developed in the 1950s.

Lawren Harris, LSH 12, 1936, was estimated to sell for $60,000 to $80,000 but sold for $121,250. This abstract sold at Heffel in 1996 for $8,250 in the early days of their auction sales.

The final 2023 Heffel Auctions sale was a seven-part online sale that closed Nov. 30. Total sales were more than $21 million for the evening.

Waddington’s: Toronto

The Waddington's Canadian and International Fine Art auction took place Nov. 30. It was a busy closing session for Waddington's, with three online auctions closing on the same night.

I am commenting on two sales: the Canadian Historical art collection sale and the Inuit sale.

The collection of Sir Christopher and Lady Ondaatje of Toronto included many examples of early Canadian art, whereas the Murdoch Munroe Putnam and Joyce Putnam collection focused primarily on the Group of Seven.

The entire sale did reasonably well, in particular the Ondaatje collection. Of note, there were several passes on works by the Group of Seven and some international and contemporary Canadian offerings. Possibly this is a reflection of the economy, but more likely collectors are simply being selective.

Rita Letendre, Untitled, 1976 was only estimated to sell for $15,000 to $20,000 but sold for $43,950. This large exciting painting was full of electrifying colour.

E.J. Hughes, The Waterfront at Cowichan Bay, 1960, was estimated to sell for $150,000 to $250,000 and sold for $318,750. As noted earlier, the interest in Hughes’ artwork has been outstanding in 2023.

Frederick A. Verner, Sioux Encampment at Sunset, 1881, was estimated to sell for $70,000 to $90,000 but sold below estimate, for $66,750. The second lot offered from the Ondaatje collection, it deserved more attention.

Cornelius D. Krieghoff, A Trip to Town, 1865, sold for $168,750. Certainly it is one of the excellent Krieghoff examples in the Ondaatje collection.

John B. Wilkinson, Sleighs on the Ice Below the Citadel, Quebec City, was estimated to sell for $8,000 to $12,000 but sold for $51,150. This British-born, Canadian-American artist was active around 1865 to 1907. It features an early and rare Canadian subject and is a beautiful painting from the Ondaatje collection.

Nam June Paik, CBC 2, 1984 was estimated to sell for $12,000 to $18,000, but sold for $27,060. It is rare to see Paik’s works sold in Canada. This brilliant Korean contemporary artist worked primarily in New York City and is famous for his installations and sculptures. This particular work was de-accessioned from the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.

At Waddington's separate Inuit and First Nations Art sale, there were exceptional early carvings, handmade prints, and interesting artworks. I have chosen to note only two items but further investigation of the online catalogue is worthwhile.

Kenojuak Ashevak, Theo Waddington Commissioned Portfolio, 1979, was estimated to sell for $8,000 to $12,000 but sold for $19,680. This folio of 12 handmade prints sold well but it should have sold for more. It is rare to see a folio intact and of this quality.

Kenojuak was a Companion of the Order of Canada and won the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts. Accolades were all well-deserved as she has created some of the most iconic images of birds and animals of her homeland. At Art Toronto recently, Feheley Fine Arts celebrated her work and life with a film and more.

Joe Talirunili, Joe’s Escape, circa 1976, sold for $24,600 and was originally entitled rowboat. I have always enjoyed Joe’s carvings. They are inventive and tell incredible stories. Some of his larger carvings of migration boats filled with Inuit people, have sold for well over $100,000. The collector who acquired this has done well.

First Arts: Toronto

The sale Masterpieces from the John & Joyce Price Collection, Part 2,  took place Dec. 4 in Toronto, live and online. (Part one was presented in 2022.) As collectors, the Prices have offered support to Inuit artists for many years. Their eye is one of a kind.

Overall bidding was strong. It was surprising to see great stone carvings sometimes passed over, but nevertheless, it was wonderful to see this collection offered back to collectors.

Kenojuak Ashevak, The Enchanted Owl, sold for $168,000. The fascination with this iconic image continues.

Annie Pootoogook, Removing Grey Hair, 2006, sold for $9,600, and Sculptor with Pipe, 2003-2004, sold for $19,200. It’s good to see Annie’s drawings gaining value. Her images of daily life and her family are one of a kind.

Unidentified Inuit Artist, Arviat (Eskimo Point) or Kangiqliniq (Rankin Inlet), Beaded Caribou Skin Amautiq, circa 1980s, was estimated to go for around $10,000 to $15,000 but sold for much more: $48,000. A stunning example of patience and pride, this beautiful piece of clothing with beadwork and more would have taken months to create.

Marion Tuu’luq, Prayer Meeting,1989, sold for $78,000. This fabulous embroidery had so much power in the images of people and the central image of a face and four whales. Her imagination was in full force. The work was exhibited and published in four major exhibitions.

Joe Talirunili, Migration Boat with Owls and Dog, circa 1966 to 1967, sold for $408,000. This well-loved image of the owls and single dog, with a bone and skin sail, attracted strong bidding and no wonder: it is a charming story. 

John Kavik, Father and Son wearing Snow Goggles, circa 1960, sold for $24,000. I have always been amazed with Kavik’s carving, simple in many ways but always capturing his subject. He incorporated antler and metal to add the googles and teeth, creating a large, powerful figure with his son on his back.

The regular sale of Inuit and First Nations Art followed on Dec. 4.

Kenojuak Ashevak, Rabbit Eating Seaweed, 1958, sold for $72,000. An early rare print by the artist, it came from the collection of Maryon and Lester Pearson, Canada’s prime minister from 1963 to 1968.

Robert Davidson, (Untitled) Recollections or The Marriage Announcement, 1986, sold for $31,200 and has beautiful design and colour. The provenance was Spirit Wrestler Gallery, Vancouver; now closed, the gallery was an excellent purveyor of First Nations art.

Luke Iksiktaaryuk, Drum Dance Scene, circa 1972, sold for $21,600. The group of antler humans all circled around the drummer is alive with energy.

Robert Houle, Untitled (Abstract with Thunderbird on Blue), 1998, was estimated to sell for $7,000 to $10,000 but sold for $18,000. Houle is a brilliant abstract painter and this is an excellent example, incorporating porcupine quills and oil paint. It’s good to see collectors are interested in his work.

The variety of artworks was excellent. Noted were sales of Morrisseau, Saul Williams and Jackson Beardy, Beau Dick, and of course a strong collection of carvings.

First Arts has notable catalogues, too, with informative writing and history.

Hodgins: Calgary

The sale took place online with live previews in Calgary on Dec. 4. As usual, there were some notable consignments on view, especially for anyone interested in Western Canadian art history.

H.G.Glyde, Sunshine, Near Banff, 1971 was estimated to sell for $4,000 to $6,000, and doubled that, selling for $12,000. Another work, Rosebud, Alta., circa 1944, sold for $5,100. 

Sunshine was a later painting, featured his more abstract interests at that time, especially with his rocky mountain pictures, whereas Rosebud, situated in the river valley, was more realist and was originally sold by Canadian Art Galleries owner J.D. Turner. 

Also noted was a larger-scale early work featuring Peyto Lake, 1938, with incredible glancing sunlight as shadows.

Joe Fafard, Aladdin, 2013, was estimated to go for $14,000 to $18,000 but sold for $36,000. Fafard did well at capturing the character of horses and this bronze was a strong example.

Augustus F.L. (Gus) Kenderdine, Three Sisters, Approaching Banff, no date, sold for $4,800. A rare painting by the infamous painter of Saskatchewan, although it was sketched on site looking towards Calgary, the foreground exhibits the emptiness of the area that we know as Canmore, which was so small, I suspect he identified the area by mentioning Banff in the title.

Illingworth Kerr, Prairie Road, March, circa 1933, sold for $6,600. A nice early Kerr, it identifies his departure from his Group of 7 training and his palette becoming his own.

Arthur Lismer, Rock Pool, Georgian Bay, 1947, sold for $27,000. Georgian Bay is a place he knew well and painted in many ways, yet this small panel exhibits his ongoing experiment with images.

Ted Harrison, Evening in Paradise, 1981, went for $45,000. I like to say that if you’re going to own a Harrison, earlier period works feature the original imagination he shared of his northern home, with an honesty, wonder and amazement.

The catalogue of the sale is on the website, with prices realized, other works noted throughout were Leo Mol’s small ceramics, L.L Fitzgerald’s works, Alex Janvier’s sketches from 1971 and historical works by Mower Martin and F.M. Bell Smith.

Cowley Abbott: Toronto

This auction of important Canadian and international art took place on Dec 6 in two parts with a live sale and online bidding.

All details are available on the Cowley Abbott website. I highly suggest reading the in-depth essays on many of the pieces in the catalogue.

The first part of the auction contained works from private and corporate collections.

William Kurelek, Streets Pier, Worthing, circa 1957 was only estimated to sell for $20,000 to $30,000 but sold for $144,000. Kurelek collectors took note of this special early gouache painting from his time in Britain.

Denyse Thomasos, Untitled, 2012, sold for $96,000. Painted during the last year of her life, this was a rare find at auction. Her major exhibition at the AGO recently was a brilliant survey of her career.

Alex Janvier, Ancient Relics, 1980, was estimated to go for $30,000 to $50,000. It sold for much more — $312,000 — and a record for the artist’s work. This large painting on linen featured Alex’s incredible control of rhythm with line and colour.

Norval Morrisseau, Migrating, 1978, was estimated to sell for $40,000 to $60,000 and went for much more: $108,000. With perfect provenance from the Pollock gallery, this powerful painting caught the attention of knowledgeable collectors.

Emily Carr, Yan, Q.C.I., 1912, sold for $384,000. Soft light radiates throughout, highlighting the totems and village. The included essay by Lisa Baldisserra is an interesting read on Carr’s trips to Queen Charlotte islands and her travels to small settlements.

Jack Bush, Bridge Passage, 1975, sold for $288,000. For the size and quality of this fine painting, the collector did well. Noted earlier in the sale was a 1966 painting by the artist, with an early provenance from David Mirvish gallery, was passed, the softening of the market for Bush’s work is notable.

Anne Savage, Saint-Sauveur-des-Monts, no date, was estimated to sell for $15,000 to $20,000 but sold for $48,000. A tiny panel likely painted on site, this gem has intense soft colour, surrounded by snow and sky.

Jack Bush, Annunciation, April 1951, sold for $52,800. This was an interesting subject, showing some of Jack’s early illustration skills. It was exhibited in 1952 by Roberts Gallery, Toronto.

Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger (F&S ll.141) sold for $276,000. No surprise and no doubt this outstanding print — by Warhol and signed with Jagger — was the international sales highlight, with very active phone bidding.

The sale did well overall, although I was surprised to see the Jean Paul Lemieux 1964 painting Jeune Fille au chandail jaune pass. There was a time in recent years where this would not have been the case. It’s another sign of a selective or changing market in Canadian art.

The second sale was the final component of a three-part sale from an Important Private Collection of Canadian Art. Parts one and two were held in late 2022 and earlier in 2023. They were described in my previous reports. Overall, the three sales generated 29 broken records for Canadian artists and achieved a result of $36 million.

F.M. Bell-Smith, School’s Out, 1885, estimated at $15,000 to $20,000, it sold for $66,000. Every child’s dream of winter in Canada, this watercolour and gouache work is stunning. 

Frederick Varley, Sun and Wind, Georgian Bay, 1916 or 1920, was estimated to sell for $70,000 to $80,000 but went much, much higher: $984,000. This rare and energetic painting set a record for the artist’s paintings. The incredible exhibition history was documented by many labels covering the back, all confirmed by excellent curatorial documentation over the years.

Ozias Leduc, Les Foins, (The Hayfield), 1901, sold for $288,000. Another incredible piece of Canadian art history, it set a record for the artist’s work.

Clarence Gagnon, Ice Harvest, 1935, was estimated to sell for $400,000 to $600,000, and sold for a record $984,000. Fascinating subjects and brilliant colour filled this large canvas.

David Milne, Outlet of the Pond, Late Afternoon, 1926, estimated to sell for $70,000 to $90,000 but sold for $528,000. This stunning painting deserved every bit of the attention generated by the bidders.

Helen Galloway McNicoll, The Chintz Sofa, circa 1912, was estimated to sell for $250,000 to $350,000 and sold for $888,000. My first viewing of this painting was at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto in the exhibition Cassatt-McNicoll: Impressionists Between Worlds. It stood out with elegance, light and colour, and I went back to it a few times. It is another well-deserved record for the artist. 

This brings another season of auctions to a close across the country. As always, get out to galleries and public galleries to inform yourself of the creative powers of our artists, historical to contemporary. ■

All prices include the buyer’s premium unless otherwise noted. Images are courtesy of the respective auction houses.

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