Walter Joseph Phillips, "Norman Bay, Lake of the Woods," 1916
watercolour on card, 13" x 13" (sold at Waddington's for $108,000)
This year’s spring art auctions suggest the secondary market is transitioning to a combined live and online format. Thanks to the pandemic and efforts to create digital platforms, viewers are watching – and bidding – from across Canada and beyond. Effective online platforms, while less personal, can reach much larger audiences, which not only helps sales, but also boosts awareness of Canada’s many notable artists, both contemporary and historical.
Overall sales were positive, with many records for individual artists challenged or broken. That includes W.J. Phillips, whose Norman Bay, Lake of the Woods sold at Waddington’s in Toronto for $108,000, a new record for one of his watercolours. Another benchmark was set by Marion Tuu’luq. Her 1974 fabric work, Crowd of People, was hammered down at the First Arts auction in Toronto for $240,000, a world record for a two-dimensional work by an Inuit artist.
Levis Fine Art, Calgary
As usual, Levis Fine Art, was first off the blocks and saw an extraordinarily high volume of online bidders, which created technical issues. However, the problems were solved efficiently and, overall, the sale had fine results for over 375 works. Two historical pieces stood out: A.J. Casson’s Farmhouse, Lake Kamaniskeg, which sold for $49,725, and A.Y. Jackson’s Lake Superior, which hit $40,950.
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Alfred Joseph Casson, "Farmhouse - Lake Kamaniskeg," 1958
oil on wood board, 12" x 15" (sold at Levis for $49,725)
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Alexander Young Jackson, "October, Lake Superior," circa 1919
oil on wood panel, 8.5" x 10.5" (sold at Levis for $40,950)
A strong group of contemporary works also did well, always a positive. Of note, Mark Dicey’s Giotto’s Table, a large and very strong painting, sold for $18,720.
Mark Douglas Dicey, "Giotto's Table" (diptych), 2014
acrylic on canvas, 41" x 182" (sold at Levis for $18,720)
In early spring, one of Canada’s senior artists, Harry Kiyooka, died. The Calgary artist was energetic and knowledgeable, an inspirational friend to the art community for decades. I was pleased to see good results for two of his important serigraphs from the 1960s: Aegean sold at $1,112 and Winged Victory went for $3,218.
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Harry Mitsuo Kiyooka, "The Aegean," no date
colour silkscreen on paper, 24" x 24" (sold at Levis for $1,112)
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Harry Mitsuo Kiyooka, "Winged Victory #3/65," circa 1966
colour silkscreen on paper, 16" x 13" (sold at Levis for $3,218)
Heffel, Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal
Heffel’s online, international and Canadian historical art sale was interesting. I recommend viewing the lots on Heffel’s website. Many international works that attracted international buyers were on offer, always a good thing. The sale closed with the stunning sale of Under the Well of the Great Wave Off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai. This tiny but well-known historical woodcut with an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000 sold for $691,250. Incredible!
Katsushika Hokusai, "Under the Well of the Great Wave Off Kanagawa," 1831
woodcut on paper, 9.5" x 14.5" (sold at Heffel for $691,250)
Andy Warhol’s silkscreen painting John Kobal (portrait series) had no bids until the final moments but sold well at $120,000. A Banksy colour silkscreen on paper, CND soldiers, sold for $109,250. It was fascinating to see an actual image from the mysterious British artist. Sadly, there are many that are not the genuine article.
Banksy, "CND Soldiers," 2005
colour screenprint on paper, signed, editioned 79/350, 27.5" x 19.5" (sold at Heffel for $109,250)
Of note, certainly for Albertans, in Heffel’s Canadian historical sale, was a very rare and stunning early A.Y. Jackson, Coal Mine at Canmore. Obviously painted on site, with incredible accuracy, it is full of colour delivered with a lively brush. It was a great find for $37,250.
Alexander Young (A.Y.) Jackson, "Coal Mine at Canmore," 1944
oil on board, 10.5" x 13.5" (sold at Heffel for $37,250)
Cowley Abbott, Toronto
Many readers know about Uninvited, the fascinating exhibition organized by Sarah Milroy, the brilliant curator of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection near Toronto. Many of the important women artists in that show are now finding more interest at auction.
Uninvited was shown in Calgary last spring at the temporary venue, Glenbow at The Edison, as the museum is undergoing major renovations. The show had one notable change from the curator’s original exhibition at the McMichael. Works by Alberta artist Annora Brown, chosen for the original exhibition by my wife, Mary-Beth Laviolette, were replaced by wildflower watercolours, apparently due to concerns about Brown’s depictions of Indigenous people. One was Brown's beautiful watercolour of a sunset on the Blood Reserve in southern Alberta that shows a woman exiting her teepee.
That said, Cowley Abbott offered two works by Anne Savage, who was included in Uninvited, that are perfect examples of her work: Lower St. Lawrence, Métis sold for $10,800, while House in the Hills / Hills & Trees sold for $12,000. Another fine example from Uninvited artist Pegi Nicol MacLeod, Portrait of a Boy, sold for $7,800. Recently, some of her works have fetched upwards of $20,000. This strong increase is good to see.
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Anne Douglas Savage, "Lower St. Lawrence, Métis," no date
oil on board, 12" x 14" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $10,800)
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Pegi Nicol MacLeod, "Portrait of a Boy," no date
oil on board, 10" x 8" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $7,800)
A Maud Lewis painting, Oxen Hauling Logs in the Winter, figured prominently in the sale. With an estimate of $12,000 to $15,000, it sold for $52,800. The ongoing interest in her art is astounding. Certainly, the most incredible sale was a small, rare image of her husband’s truck, Black Truck, which sold at Miller & Miller Auctions in Ontario, for $350,000. If I had one wish, it would be that somehow a percentage of sales of her work could be put into a foundation in her name to promote Canadian folk art and artists.
Maud Lewis, "Oxen Hauling Logs in Winter," no date
mixed media on board, 12" x 14" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $52,800)
Also of note was a 1976 painting by Ojibwa artist Benjamin Chee Chee. Two Geese in Flight, which sold for $8,520, is a fine example by an artist who died too soon. Young Lady, a 1965 painting by another Ojibwa artist, Arthur Shilling, sold for $8,400, well over its estimate of $2,500 to $3,500. His portraits are often stunning emotional captures of his subjects, complete with brilliant colour and brushwork.
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Benjamin Chee Chee, "Two Geese in Flight," 1976
acrylic on paper, 22.5" x 30" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $8,520)
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Arthur Shilling, "Young Lady," 1965
oil on canvas, 30" x 24" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $8,400)
Hodgins, Calgary
This online sale finished strongly when an H.G. Glyde painting, Canmore, from 1949, sold for $6,500. A small panel from Glyde’s estate via his family, tells a wonderful story of Canmore’s mining history. Painted live while he taught at the Banff Centre's summer program, it truly is a small, rare gem.
Henry George Glyde, "Canmore," 1949
oil on board, 13" x 16" (sold at Hodgins for $6,500)
Once again, Ted Harrison, the “painter of the North,” found incredible interest with The Land of Pure Delight. It sold at $85,000, well beyond an estimate of $25,000 to $35,000.
Ted Harrison, "The Land of Pure Delight," 1999
acrylic on canvas, 36" x 48" (sold at Hodgins for $85,000)
The Hodgins sale also featured several international artists, including Georges Braque, Marc Chagall, Joan Miró, Mimmo Palladino and Jean Cocteau. The collection, from Calgary, did very well, finding interest both locally and from outside Canada.
I was happy to see four paintings by David Bolduc sell well. This underrated Toronto artist, who died in 2010, deserves more recognition. Although the works are relatively small, they are vibrant and eclectic. Morning Room, from 2006, sold for $6,500.
David Bolduc, "Morning Room," 2006
acrylic on canvas, 60" x 52" (sold at Hodgins for $6,500)
A rare offering of early works on paper by Alex Janvier, a Denesuline artist from the Cold Lake First Nations in Alberta, came from one collection. Four small pieces painted in the mid-1960s point to his future path. My personal favourite was Prey on the Weak, from 1963. It sold for $2,750.
Alex Janvier, "Prey on the Weak," 1963
gouache on paper, 11" x 14.5" (sold at Hodgins for $2,750)
Deanna Bartholow, an amazing senior woodcarver from Alberta, showed up late in the sale, with Hummingbirds, carved from tupelo wood. It has incredible detail and sold for $1,200.
Deanna Bartholow, "Hummingbirds," no date
carved tupelo wood & acrylic on a metal & wood base, 12.5" x 12" x 9.5" (sold at Hodgins for $1,200)
BYDealers, Montreal
This auction house, a partnership of art dealers, seems to be finding solid ground with collectors interested in art from Quebec. The evening before the sale, I noted bids on every piece. Of note were Jean McEwen’s Le drapeau inconnu – 3eme theme No. 8, from 1964, which sold at $162,000, as well as Marcelle Ferron’s, Sans titre, circa 1958, one of her perfect small canvas paintings, which sold at $51,600. Overall, the sale did well.
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Jean Albert McEwen, "Le drapeau inconnu - 3eme Theme, No. 8," 1954
oil on canvas, 60" x 40" (sold at BYDealers for $162,000)
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Marcelle Ferron, "Sans titre," circa 1958
oil on canvas, 16.5" x 13" (sold at BYDealers for $51,600)
Heffel, Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal
Although not a live sale, Heffel has developed its “digital online salesroom,” marshalling phone and online bids from Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. It is lively and entertaining to watch. Takao Tanabe’s Crossing the Strait, Sunset, 2010, sold for a record price of $277,250, well over its estimate of $70,000 to $90,000. Although large and somewhat moody, it is a stunning work. A Jean Paul Riopelle, Sans titre, 1953, had a brilliant start and sold for almost $2.9 million.
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Takao Tanabe, "Crossing the Strait, Sunset," 2010
acrylic on canvas, 48" x 120" (sold at Heffel for $277,250)
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Jean Paul Riopelle, "Sans titre," 1953
oil on canvas, 29" x 39" (sold at Heffel for $2,881,250)
Jean McEwen’s Untitled, from 1963, achieved another record, selling at $229,250.
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Jean Albert McEwen, "Untitled," 1963
oil on canvas, 35" x 45.5" (sold at Heffel for $229,250)
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Rita Letendre, "Reflet d'Eden," 1961
oil on canvas, 60" x 65.5" (sold at Heffel for $451,250)
A record was also broken by Rita Letendre’s Reflet d’Eden, 1961, which sold at $451,250. This large and exciting painting was originally handled by the incredible Dorothy Cameron Gallery in Toronto, a place ahead of its time.
Alex Colville’s painting, Coastal Figure, 1951, sold for more than $1.5 million. This mysterious work, which only Colville could have made, has sold three times at auctions – at Sotheby’s in 1991 and 1996, and at Heffel in 2009.
Alexander Colville, "Coastal Figure," 1951
glazed tempera on board, 25" x 55" (sold at Heffel for $1,561,250)
The sale was tremendously successful, with few passes and two lots withdrawn. Telephone bidders in all three rooms were busy.
My first pick in the next Heffel offering was a beautiful small 1919 panel by J.E.H. MacDonald, On Mongoose Creek, Algoma, which sold for $265,250. The lively brush amidst the abstraction was a visionary example of just how brilliant MacDonald could be.
James Edward Hervey MacDonald, "On Mongoose Creek, Algoma," 1919
oil on board, 8" x 10.5" (sold at Heffel for $265,250)
Frederick Varley’s Mrs. Varley in Front of her Tent, from 1925, caught my attention. It shows billowing blue curtains against a white tent, with Varley’s wife and child in the foreground. It was painted when the family was living outside for a summer after defaulting on their mortgage. It sold for $61,250.
Frederick Horsman Varley, "Mrs. Varley in Front of Her Tent," 1925
oil on board, 12" x 16" (sold at Heffel for $61,250)
Mountain Sketch, circa 1928, by Lawren Harris, sold for just over $1 million. This ethereal small panel has the provenance of Montreal’s Dominion Gallery and one previous owner.
Lawren Stewart Harris, "Mountain Sketch," circa 1928
oil on board, 12" x 15" (sold at Heffel for $1,021,250)
Emily Carr’s Singing Trees, circa 1935, sold for more than $1.2 million. Auctioneer David Heffel noted that he and his brother, Robert, had seen the painting 12 years earlier. It was obviously worth the wait to consign it from a private collector in British Columbia.
Emily Carr, "Singing Trees," 1935
oil on canvas, 21" x 17" (sold at Heffel for $1,261,250)
Overall, the sale was calm and moved along at a good pace. A few surprising passes caught my attention. Collectors seem to be focused on historical Canadian art at the moment.
Waddington’s, Toronto
Of note in this fascinating sale was a section devoted to the Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporation, founded in 1973 and informally known as the Indian Group of Seven. An essay accompanied fine works from the seven artists.
Daphne Odjig, one of the members, painted They Tell us Many Things in 1977. It sold for $28,800, over the high estimate by $10,000. I was surprised more collectors did not join the bidding. Although the works sold well, I had expected better results.
Daphne Odjig, "They Tell Us Many Things," 1977
acrylic on canvas, 28" x 24" (sold at Waddington's for $28,800)
Two works by W.J. Phillips, Winnipeg River, Lake of the Woods, 1916, and Norman Bay, Lake of the Woods, 1916, sold for $55,200 and $108,000, respectively, the latter a record for a watercolour by Phillips. These two early paintings came from a collection in Washington.
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Joe Norris, "Two Schooners at Sea," no date
oil on board, 23" x 42" (sold at Waddington's for $26,400)
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Franklin Carmichael, "July," 1939
oil on panel, 10" x 12" (sold at Waddington's for $156,000)
Two Schooners, 1980, by Joe Norris, sold for $26,400, a record for the Nova Scotia folk artist, who exhibited with the Mira Godard Gallery in Toronto. Franklin Carmichael’s July sometimes described as Clouds, La Cloche Hill, 1939, sold for $156,000, well over the estimate of $70,000 to $90,000. His work’s value has depreciated in recent years, so I was pleased to see this small panel sell strongly.
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Jessie Oonark, "Untitled (Figure with Faces)," circa 1979
duffle, felt, embroidery floss and thread, 46.5" x 30.5" (sold at Waddington's for $85,200)
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Bill Nasogaluak, "White Demons Stealing Inuit Souls," 2013
stone, ivory, sinew, 13" x 16" x 11" (sold at Waddington's for $5,100)
The Inuit and First Nations art featured fine pieces from different parts of the country. A one-of-a-kind piece from Jessie Oonark, known for her incredible appliqué with felt, duffle and embroidery, was represented by Untitled (figure with faces), circa 1979, which sold for $85,200. White Demons Stealing Inuit Souls, a sculpture by Bill Nasogaluak, from Tuktuuyaqtuuq, N.W.T., sold for $5,100. Born in 1953, he has work at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. His piece resonates strongly with the current moment of reconciliation and reparations. I appreciate the consistent growth of contemporary Indigenous artists of the North and, indeed, across the land.
First Arts, Toronto
I continue to follow this group of well-known dealers in Indigenous art, all experts in their respective areas. I have known Mark London and Patricia Feheley for years through the Art Dealers Association of Canada, and have met Ingo Hessel several times. Their auction, at A.H. Wilkens Auctions & Appraisals in Toronto, resulted sales that topped $1.3 million. But the real news relates to 16 new auction records.
Marion Tuu'luq, "Crowd of People," 1974
wool stroud, felt, and embroidery floss, 52" x 70.5" (photo by Dieter Hessel) (sold at First Arts for $240,000)
Marion Tuu’luq’s Crowd of People, 1974, made from wool shroud, felt and embroidery floss, sold for $240,000. This fabulous inventive piece, full of colour and life, set a world record for a two-dimensional piece by an Inuit artist.
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Osuitok Ipeelee, "Owl, Fox and Hare Legend," 1958
sealskin stencil, 24" x 18", 7/30 (photo by Dieter Hessel) (sold at First Arts for $40,800)
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Isa Aqiattusuk Smiler, "Standing Mother and Child," circa 1953
stone, ivory, and soap inlay, 11" x 7" x 6" (photo by Dieter Hessel) (sold at First Arts for $72,000)
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Oviloo Tunnillie, "Thinkng Woman," 2001
stone, 31" x 9" x 5.5" (photo by Dieter Hessel) (sold at First Arts for $33,600)
Osuitok Ipeelee’s Eskimo Legend, Owl, Fox and Hare, 1958, a seal-skin stencil print, sold for $40,800. It is beautiful and, of course, has a great story. Isa Aqiattusuk Smiler’s Standing Mother and Child, 1953, a stone, ivory and soap inlay, sold for $72,000. Oviloo Tunnillie’s Thinking Woman, 2001, a stone piece, sold for $33,600. This tall and slender carving has beautiful lines and emotion. This was a great sale to learn more about a fascinating area of art.
Cowley Abbott, Toronto
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Tom Thomson, "Nocturne," 1916
oil on panel, 8" x 10.5" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $1,500,000)
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A.J. Casson, "Mill Lake, Parry Sound," 1934
oil on board, 9" x 11" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $144,000)
Tom Thomson’s Nocturne, 1916, sold for $1.5 million. This small, rare panel is stunning with bold brush strokes and thick impasto oil paint that captures the subject well. A.J. Casson’s Mill Lake, Parry Sound, 1934, sold for $144,000 – more than double the estimate.
Guido Molinari, "Série noir/blanc," 1967
acrylic on canvas, 81" x 68" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $264,000)
Guido Molinari’s Série noir/blanc, 1967, sold for $264,000, a stunning painting for a good price.
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Arthur Heming, "Nearing a Fur Post," circa 1938
oil on canvas, oil on canvas, 35" x 45" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $48,000)
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William Kurelek, "Brian Dedora in Isaacs Gallery Old Workshop," 1976
pen, ink and wash on card, 18.5" x 13.5" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $31,200)
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Norval Morrisseau, "Animal Unity," no date
acrylic on canvas, 50" x 108" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $312,000)
Arthur H.H. Heming’s Nearing a Fur Post, circa 1938, sold for $48,000, which is $2,000 below the record price for this brilliant illustrator’s work. William Kurelek’s Brian Dedora in Isaacs Gallery Old Workshop, 1976, a pen, ink and wash on card, sold for $31,200. Kurelek and Dedora were great friends and worked as framers with Av Isaacs for years, so this is a wonderful personal story. Norval Morrisseau’s Animal Unity, no date, sold for $312,000, a record for the artist’s original paintings.
Isabel McLaughlin, "Backyards," circa 1928-32
oil on canvas, 25" x 26" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $40,800)
Another record was for Isabel McLaughlin’s Backyards, circa 1928-32, which sold for $40,800. Three Maud Lewis paintings sold for a total of $226,800, a fine ending to a busy evening.
Overall, this season’s auctions were full of great art and saw positive sales with many records broken for a variety of Canadian artists. ■
All prices include the buyer’s premium unless otherwise noted. Images are courtesy of the respective auction houses.
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