Tom Thomson, “Ragged Oaks,” 1916, oil on panel, 8.5" x 10.5" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $1,800,000)
A consistent theme of the spring auctions was selective buying, with collectors focused on what they wanted to own. Some works sold for less than expected, while other worthy pieces received a complete pass. Current economic uncertainty may be a factor. But informed collectors usually overcame their hesitation when they found works of specific interest and then bid to win.
Notable sales included Tom Thomson’s Ragged Oaks, which sold for $1.8 million, and a beautiful Emily Carr painting, Kitwancool, that went for more than $1.9 million. An oil painting from the West Coast by E.J. Hughes, Abandoned Village, Rivers Inlet, BC, fetched $1.8 million, while an Alex Colville painting, June Noon, sold for more than $2.1 million. All in all, it was a strong season. Read on for a recap of the season’s major sales, in chronological order.
Waddington’s Online: Toronto
Waddington’s often focuses on lesser-known artists and estates but, on occasion, consignor Doug Payne delivers surprises. Knowledgeable collectors could buy fine pieces of Canadian art with confidence.
Norval Morrisseau, “Shaman, the Ojibway, receives the Sacred Fire from the 3rd Heaven,” 1973, acrylic on art board, 29.5" x 19" (sold at Waddington’s for $45,600)
Norval Morrisseau, “Pikang Kum Lake Woman,” 1973, acrylic on art board, 27" x 19" (sold at Waddington’s for $38,400)
Norval Morrisseau, “First Son of the Ojibway Loon Totemic Clan,” 1973, acrylic on art board, 29" x 19" (sold at Waddington’s for $40,800)
The first sale offered three excellent Norval Morrisseau paintings, all with reliable provenance through Toronto’s Pollock Gallery, active from 1960 to 1981. These early works were chosen by Jack Pollock, who knew Morrisseau well and organized good exhibitions of his work. The paintings sold for $45,600, $40,800 and $38,400, excellent prices for authentic pieces.
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Edith Grace Coombs, “Snow-bound Balsam Trees,” 1935, oil on canvas, 40" x 34" (sold at Waddington’s for $22,800)
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Mary Alexandra Bell Eastlake, “Portrait of a Lady,” 1892, oil on canvas, 36" x 29.5" (sold at Waddington’s for $24,000)
In a subsequent sale, two works stood out: Snow-bound Balsam Trees, 1935, by Edith Grace Coombs, which had a top estimate of $1,500 and sold for $22,800, and Portrait of a Lady, 1892, by Mary Alexandra Bell Eastlake, similarly estimated, that sold for $24,000.
Levis: Calgary
The Levis online sale featured more than 500 works, including Group of Seven paintings and contemporary art. Also on offer was the impressive art collection of the late Joan Snyder, a Calgary businesswoman, with proceeds going to the University of Calgary, which did well from the sale.
Frederick Banting, “French River, Ontario,” circa 1930, oil on wood panel, 8.5" x 10.5" (sold at Levis for $49,725)
Frederick Banting’s French River, Ontario, circa 1930, nearly doubled its estimate by selling at $49,725. This small panel is a fine example of work by Banting, who shared the Nobel Prize in medicine with John Macleod for discovering insulin.
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Nan Cheney, “Trail B.C.,” 1930, oil on wood panel, 14" x 16" (sold at Levis for $4,973)
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John Innes, “Monarch of the Prairie,” 1910, oil on wood board, 7.5" x 11.5" (sold at Levis for $7,020)
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Cornelius Krieghoff, “Canadians Preparing for Town,” no date, oil on canvas, 13" x 18" (sold at Levis for $140,400)
Other highlights included Nan Cheney’s Trail B.C., 1930, which sold for $4,973. Although Cheney is not well known, she was an adventurous artist. Monarch of the Prairie, circa 1910, by John Innes, a painter of the Canadian West, sold for $7,020. This powerful small sketch is one of his best. Canadians Preparing for Town, by Cornelius Krieghoff, doubled its estimate, selling at $140,400. A fine example of his work, it deserves attention.
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Walter J. Phillips, “Mount Field,” 1937, watercolour on paper, 13.5" x 11.5" (sold at Levis for $23,400)
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Joe Fafard, “Aunt Cow,” 1973, glazed ceramic sculpture, 8" x 20" x 13" (sold at Levis for $29,250)
Mount Field, 1937, by Walter J. Phillips, sold for $23,400. It’s an exquisite example of his watercolours of the Canadian Rockies. Joe Fafard’s Aunt Cow, 1973, which had an upper estimate of $9,000, sold for $29,250. This rare ceramic has gone to a good home.
Heffel: Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal
Heffel’s spring sales, live and online, were held for the first time in its new Toronto ballroom, where the bidding process worked well. It was exciting to read the essays and note the provenance for many works fresh to the market.
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Gordon Smith, “Pond AE I,” 1996, acrylic on canvas, 67" x 36" (sold at Heffel for $157,250)
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Andy Warhol, “Bald Eagle, from Endangered Species (F.S.II.296),” 1983, screenprint on Lenox Museum Board, 38" x 38" (sold at Heffel for $301,250)
The post-war and contemporary art sale began strongly. Gordon Smith’s Pond AE I, 1996, sold for $157,250, nearly double its estimate. This large painting is quiet and evocative.
Heffel continued to mix important Canadian art with international works, such as Andy Warhol’s Bald Eagle, from Endangered Species, a 1983 work that sold for $301,250, a Canadian record for Warhol.
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Lawren Harris, “Northern Image,” 1952, oil on canvas, 50" x 47" (sold at Heffel for $1,021,250)
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E.J. Hughes, “Abandoned Village, Rivers Inlet, BC,” 1947, oil on canvas, 32" x 40" (sold at Heffel for $1,801,250)
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Jean Paul Riopelle, “Foison,” 1958, oil on canvas, 31.5" x 39" (sold at Heffel for $661,250)
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Alexander Colville, “June Noon,” 1963, acrylic polymer emulsion on board, 30" x 30" (sold at Heffel for $2,161,250)
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Jack Bush, “Tilt,” 1974, acrylic on canvas, 91" x 91" (sold at Heffel for $193,250)
Northern Image, 1952, by Lawren Harris, sold for more than $1 million, a record for his abstract paintings. Abandoned Village, Rivers Inlet, BC, 1947, a haunting black and white oil painting by E.J. Hughes, sold for more than $1.8 million. Both came from the Alma Mater Society of the University of British Columbia.
Jean Paul Riopelle’s Foison, 1958, sold for $661,250. My favourite of the Riopelle paintings on offer, this lively oil was an excellent buy to help mark the 100th anniversary of Riopelle’s birth.
Alex Colville’s June Noon, 1963, sold for more than $2.1 million. Steeped in the mystery Colville is known for, it is a powerful and beautiful painting that returned to Canada from a private collection in Germany.
Jack Bush’s Tilt, 1974, sold for $193,250. My favourite of the Bush paintings, this bold and lively piece had a primarily American provenance through the former André Emmerich Gallery in New York. The Canadian collector who purchased it made a good decision.
The sale also featured some fine large figures from the 1960s by Quebec’s Jean Paul Lemieux.
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A. Y. Jackson, “Canmore,” 1947, oil on board, 10.5" x 13.5" (sold at Heffel for $40,250)
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J. E. H. MacDonald, “Wiwaxy Peaks, Lake O'Hara Camp,” 1928, oil on board, 8.5" x 10.5" (sold at Heffel for $97,250)
Other works of note included A.Y. Jackson’s Canmore, which sold for $40,250. Painted in 1947, when Jackson was at the Banff Centre, this gem was an excellent purchase. J.E.H. MacDonald’s Wiwaxy Peaks, Lake O’Hara Camp, 1928, sold for $97,250. Although moody, as his Lake O’Hara paintings can be, his brush was lively and colourful, capturing the area’s beauty. Another well-placed bid.
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Frederick Varley, “Northern Lights, BC,” circa 1936-1940, oil on board, 12" x 15" (sold at Heffel for $169,250)
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Emily Carr, “Glorious Tree,” circa 1932, oil on paper, 36" x 24" (sold at Heffel for $391,250)
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Arthur Lismer, “An Ontario Village (Meadowvale),” circa 1923, oil on canvas, 32" x 40" (sold at Heffel for $751,250)
Frederick Varley’s Northern Lights, BC, circa 1936 to 1940, doubled its estimate, selling at $169,250. This small panel shows Varley’s adventurous brush and use of colour. Emily Carr’s Glorious Tree, circa 1932, sold for $391,250. This was my favourite of three Carr paintings in the sale.
Arthur Lismer’s An Ontario Village (Meadowvale), 1923, more than doubled its estimate, selling for $751,250. I have never seen such a detailed painting by Lismer. Full of colour and light, it has a provenance through the former Laing Gallery in Toronto straight to the private collector who was selling it.
BYDealers: Montreal
The BYDealers’ sale of 57 works featured some fine pieces by Quebec artists, along with some by artists from elsewhere. I was surprised how many sold below estimate and also by the lack of bids on strong works by significant artists.
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Miyuki Tanobe, “Québec Fête,” 1976, Nihonga on rice paper laid on panel, 24" x 48" (sold at BYDealers for $46,800)
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Armand Vaillancourt, “Untitled,” 1962, burnt wood, 91" x 11.5" x 2" (sold at BYDealers for $55,200)
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Jean McEwen, “Le drapeau inconnu — 3ͤ thème, No 12,” 1964, oil on canvas, 40" x 38" (sold at BYDealers for $144,000)
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Jean Paul Riopelle, “Hibou-White Stone,” 1969-1970 (cast 2010), bronze and lost wax, 18.5" x 15" x 10" (sold at BYDealers for $99,000)
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Paul-Émile Borduas, “Ramage,” 1956, oil on canvas, 23.5" x 28.5" (sold at BYDealers for $420,000)
Miyuki Tanobe’s Québec Fête, 1976, sold for $46,800. This sophisticated folk artist was represented by Mira Godard / Marlborough Godard in Toronto and Montreal. An untitled 1962 work by Armand Vaillancourt sold for $55,200. His burnt wood sculptures are adventurous and elegant.
Jean McEwen’s Le Drapeau inconnu – 3e thème, No. 12, 1964, sold for $144,000. The painting, which has provenance through the former Gallery Moos in Toronto, previously sold for $57,500 at a 2005 Heffel auction.
Jean Paul Riopelle’s Hibou-White Stone, 1969-1970 (cast 2010), sold for $99,000. Although made in earlier years, this sculpture was cast in bronze by the estate after Riopelle’s death. Ramage, 1956, by Paul-Émile Borduas, sold for $420,000. His energetic canvas with solid provenance was a good purchase, selling below estimate.
Waddington’s: Toronto
The major spring sale of 62 works by Waddington’s was held online. It offered several works of note.
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A.Y. Jackson, “Islands, Go Home Bay,” 1933, oil on board, 10.5" x 13.5" (sold at Waddington’s for $22,140)
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Lawren Harris, “Late Sun, North Shore, Lake Superior,” 1924, oil on paperboard, 10.5" x 13.5" (sold at Waddington’s for $270,750)
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Marion Long, “Shopping for the Family,” circa 1920-1921, oil on board, 8.5" x 10.5" (sold at Waddington’s for $27,060)
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J.E.H. MacDonald, “Snowy Morning, Rocky Mountains near Lake O'Hara,” 1925, oil on paperboard, 8.5" x 10.5" (sold at Waddington’s for $120,750)
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Lawren Harris, “Algoma Sketch,” circa 1920, oil on panel, 10.5" x 14" (sold at Waddington’s for $78,750)
A.Y. Jackson’s Islands, Go Home Bay, 1933, sold for $22,140. This rhythmic painting of a place Jackson appreciated, previously sold at a Consignor auction in 2016 for $21,850. Late Sun, North Shore, Lake Superior, 1924, by Lawren Harris, sold below estimate for $270,750. The provenance indicates the painting stayed in one family. I had expected a higher price for this prime subject.
Toronto artist Marion Long’s Shopping for the Family, circa 1920-1921, sold for $27,060. Her tiny panel sketches of Toronto are often sought out by collectors. This small painting prompted an interesting battle between two bidders.
J.E.H. MacDonald’s Snowy Morning, Rocky Mountains Near Lake O’Hara, 1925, sold for $120,750. A beautiful small panel from his early trips to Lake O’Hara, it had a provenance of one owner. I was happy to see it sell at the high end of the estimate.
Algoma Sketch, made by Lawren Harris around 1920, sold below estimate for $78,750. Someone whose opinion I trust called it a stunning small sketch. He compared the work to a similar Algoma sketch that recently sold for $169,250 at a Heffel auction. The large price differential suggests the buyer made a great purchase.
The sale included some successes for Western Canadian painters, notably Takao Tanabe and Alex Janvier. Three of Norval Morrisseau’s early paintings did well although they did not achieve the results of Waddington’s earlier online sale. Surprisingly, the 20-odd works that were passed over included two Doris McCarthy sketches from an early trip to the Arctic, as well as work by other artists who have done well in the past.
Hodgins: Calgary
Hodgins’ online sale of 265 works had some fine pieces from the collection of Ted and Phyllis Godwin, along with excellent art with provenance through Edmonton’s former Douglas Udell Gallery, which is missed by many collectors. As usual, a mixed selection from Western Canada made for an interesting evening. It was good to see Hodgins achieve positive results for fine works. Overall, few were left unsold.
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Joe Fafard, “Jules, ed. #2/7,” 2009, patinated bronze, 8.5" x 13" x 4" (sold at Hodgins for $23,400)
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Ted Godwin, “Starigans – Newfoundland Suite,” no date, oil on canvas, 49" x 69" (sold at Hodgins for $38,025)
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Jean McEwen, “Blason du royale rouge,” 1962, oil on canvas, 39.5" x 39.5" (sold at Hodgins for $81,900)
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Bob Boyer, “Clear Skies over Victoria Plains (blanket painting),” 1987, mixed media on Hudson’s Bay blanket, 40" x 48" (sold at Hodgins for $17,550)
Joe Fafard’s Jules, 2009, a patinated bronze bull, sold well over its estimate for $23,400. Ted Godwin’s undated Starigans – Newfoundland Suite also went above its estimate, selling for $38,025. Godwin pursued subjects across Canada but Newfoundland was one of his favourite places late in his career.
Montreal artist Jean McEwen’s Blason du royale rouge, 1962, sold for $81,900. With an excellent provenance from the former Gallery Moos in Toronto, it was one of the best results for the artist’s early work in recent sales.
Bob Boyer’s Clear Skies Over Victoria Plains (blanket painting), 1987, sold for $17,550, tripling the estimate. This rare and beautiful painting came from the Godwin collection. Godwin and Boyer, who met in Regina, were close friends. The collector with the winning bid did well. This one-of-a-kind work should easily have reached $25,000 or more.
Cowley Abbott: Toronto
The live sale, held at the Globe and Mail Centre, was my first in-person sale in years. What a way to end the drought! It included the much-anticipated conclusion of an earlier sale last fall that included selections from the private collection of two brilliant Toronto collectors who choose to remain anonymous.
Both parts of the sale were appreciated by collectors. The catalogues, filled with great essays by Canada’s best art historians, are treasures for any library. Cowley Abbott deserves all the congratulatory comments they received for their care, appreciation and devotion.
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Lawren Harris, “Red House, Barrie,” 1924, gouache, 6" x 7" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $66,000)
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Doris McCarthy, “Floes Floating,” 2000, oil on canvas, 30" x 36" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $43,200)
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William Kurelek, “A Bolt Like That,” 1965, mixed media on Masonite, 24" x 48" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $264,000)
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Alex Janvier, “Hometown Fans,” 1981, acrylic on canvas, 18" x 24" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $28,800)
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Joan Mitchell, “Untitled,” no date, gouache on paper, 10.5" x 14.5" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $132,000)
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David Hockney, “Nehemiah Checking the Walls of Jerusalem,” 1966, ink on paper, 20" x 12.5" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $102,000)
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Fernando Botero, “The Kitchen,” 1994, oil on canvas, 40" x 48" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $468,000)
Red House, Barrie, a 1924 painting by Lawren Harris, more than tripled its estimate, selling for $66,000. This tiny gem is thought to be a study for a large canvas, Pine Tree and Red House, Winter, City Painting II, completed the same year.
Doris McCarthy’s Floes Floating, 2000, sold for $43,200. This late-period iceberg fantasy, inspired by her many trips to the North, is a perfect example of her abstraction of icebergs. Beautiful rhythms flow throughout the painting.
William Kurelek’s A Bolt Like That, 1965, sold for $264,000. Kurelek often told stories in his work and this painting reveals a tiny scene in a vast and snowy nocturnal landscape.
Alex Janvier, a Denesuline artist from the Cold Lake First Nations, painted Hometown Fans in 1981. The small canvas sold for $28,800.
American artist Joan Mitchell’s Untitled, no date, sold for $132,000. Numerous phone and online bids were made for this small work on paper. Mitchell, Jean Paul Riopelle’s long-time life partner, has experienced accelerated recognition in recent years.
David Hockney’s Nehemiah Checking the Walls of Jerusalem, 1966, sold for $102,000, five times its estimated value. This fine drawing, made early in Hockney’s career as a gift dedicated to a friend, saw heated bidding both online and by phone.
Fernando Botero’s The Kitchen, 1994, sold for $468,000. A perfect example of the Colombian artist’s work, it was originally sold in Toronto by the Albert White gallery to a prominent corporate collection.
Also of note was Andy Warhol’s set of four silkscreens of Queen Elizabeth. They were sold by the Winnipeg Art Gallery in order to purchase more Indigenous art for its collection. The series fetched $936,000.
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James W. Morrice, “À Venise (Study for ‘Red Houses, Venice’),” 1911, oil on wood panel, 13" x 9" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $312,000)
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Emily Carr, “Kitwancool,” circa 1928, oil on canvas, 44" x 27" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $1,920,000)
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Tom Thomson, “Ragged Oaks,” 1916, oil on panel, 8.5" x 10.5" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $1,800,000)
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Lucius O’Brien, “Through the Rocky Mountains, a Pass on the Canadian Highway,” 1887, watercolour, 40" x 27.5" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $72,000)
James W. Morrice’s À Venise (Study for “Red Houses, Venice”), 1911, sold for $312,000, almost three times the high estimate. This stunning painting illustrates the brilliance of the private collector’s vision.
Emily Carr’s Kitwancool, circa 1928, went for more than $1.9 million. One of the best totem pole paintings I have seen, it reveals power, beauty and history. It’s Carr at her best.
Tom Thomson’s Ragged Oaks, 1916, sold for $1.8 million. The private collectors’ provenance was to the Thomson family. The painting dances with colour and brushwork.
Lucius O’Brien’s Through the Rocky Mountains, a Pass on the Canadian Highway, 1887, fetched $72,000, a record for his work, and one of nine records set in the sale.
First Arts, Inuit & First Nations Art: Toronto
First Arts continues to be the leader in the presentation and sale of Indigenous art in Canada. Its live and online sale featured wonderful consignments, curated by the owners. I encourage further investigation of First Arts and this sale’s catalogue, which is available online. It includes many incredible historical and contemporary artists, along with interesting stories. The sale included many sculptures and fine prints from the collection of John and Joyce Price, of Seattle, along with collectors from across Canada.
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Kenojuak Ashevak, “Geese Frightened by Fox,” 1960, stonecut print, 19" x 21" (sold at First Arts for $14,400)
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Charles Edenshaw, “Model, Totem Pole,” circa 1900-1910, argillite, 10" x 2.5" x 2" (sold at First Arts for $50,000)
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Jessie Oonark, “Untitled (composition with Skidoos and ulus),” circa 1971-1972, wool duffle, felt, cotton thread and embroidery thread, 53" x 51" (sold at First Arts for $168,000)
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John Tiktak, “Mother and Child,” 1965, stone, 6" x 4.75" x 2.75" (sold at First Arts for $78,000)
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Norval Morrisseau, “The Great Migration of the Ojibwa People,” 1989, acrylic on canvas, 56.5" x 92.5" (sold at First Arts for $192,000)
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Robert Houle, “Untitled (Abstract Sweetgrass in Purples),” 1972, acrylic on canvas, 30" x 40" (sold at First Arts for $33,600)
Inuit artist Kenojuak Ashevak’s Geese Frightened by Fox, 1960, sold for $14,400, a record for this early stonecut print.
Charles Edenshaw’s Model, Totem Pole, circa 1900-1910, reached $50,000. Edenshaw is an icon of Haida art and this rare argillite carving certainly illustrates his status.
Inuit artist Jessie Oonark’s Untitled (composition with Skidoos and ulus), circa 1971-1972, sold for $168,000, almost three times the high estimate. It set a well-deserved record for her incredible fabric works. The colourful abstract design is stunning. Inuit artist John Tiktak’s Mother and Child, 1965, went for $78,000. This small brilliant piece is fascinating, expressive and full of emotion.
Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau’s The Great Migration of the Ojibwa People, 1989, sold for $192,000. With a perfect provenance, this large painting, which depicts the Seven Fires Prophecy, is a masterpiece.
Saulteaux artist Robert Houle’s Untitled (Abstract Sweetgrass in Purples), 1972, set a well-deserved record at $33,600. Houle is a brilliant painter who often uses his brush to subtly consider important issues affecting Indigenous people. ■
All prices include the buyer’s premium unless otherwise noted. Images are courtesy of the respective auction houses.
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