Author: Rob

  • Trucs et astuces pour la collection d’art

    Lot 147: Ronald York Wilson, Prehistoric Enigma
    mixed media on paper, 8.75 x 9 ins

    Sélections d’œuvres d’art accessibles dans les ventes en ligne de février

    Les ventes en ligne de février de Cowley Abbott sont divisées en trois catégories : Canada et à l’étranger (Canada & Abroad), Trois dimensions (Three Dimensions), œuvres sur papier et gravures (Works on Paper & Prints). Je vais mettre en évidence certains de mes coups de cœur abordables parmi ces ventes, ainsi que les motifs pour lesquels je les ai choisis.

    Lot 14: W.E. Atkinson, Shades of Evening
    oil on canvas, 20 x 16 ins
    Estimate: $1,500-2,000

    Dans mon blog précédent, j’ai mentionné à quel point j’aime les ventes aux enchères, car elles nous exposent à un large éventail d’art, nous faisant envisager certaines œuvres d’art que nous n’aurions pas recherchées autrement. Par exemple, je suis généralement attirée par l’art abstrait parce que je l’ai étudié à l’université et parce qu’il est moderne et souvent coloré. Si je cherchais à acheter de l’art dans une galerie, je chercherais probablement une exposition d’art moderne. Cela étant dit, les œuvres qui me frappent le plus dans les ventes de ce mois-ci seraient considérées comme assez traditionnelles : Sketch for « Spring » de George Reid et Shades of Evening de William Edwin Atkinson. Ils sont à la fois doux et romantiques, avec une qualité très impressionniste. Cela démontre que les enchères peuvent nous ouvrir les yeux à de nouvelles choses – elles nous donnent l’occasion d’être surpris !

    Lot 58: Manly MacDonald, Baker House Close, Edinburgh
    etching, 10.25 x 8 ins
    Estimate $250-350

    Les eaux-fortes sont un beau type de gravure qui requièrent une technique impressionnante et minutieuse. L’image est d’abord gravée à la main dans une plaque de cuivre, puis immergée dans de l’acide, ensuite passée dans une presse à imprimer. Le processus nécessite une attention au détail pointue et ne permet aucune marge d’erreur, ce qui me mène à penser que les eaux-fortes méritent plus d’attention qu’elles n’en reçoivent habituellement. L’œuvre de Manly MacDonald, Baker House Close, Edinburgh est une représentation charmante et délicate d’une scène de rue écossaise, avec une estimation de seulement 250 à 350 $.

    Lot 104: Marion Post Wolcott
    Jitterbugging on a Saturday Night in Juke Joint near Clarksdale, MI, 1939
    gelatin print, 10 x 8.75 ins
    Estimate: $1,000-1,500

    Marion Post Wolcott était une photographe américaine de renom, surtout connue pour avoir documenté la pauvreté et les privations aux États-Unis pendant la Grande Dépression. Ses photographies font partie des collections de musées tels que le Smithsonian et le Metropolitan Museum of Art. Il est excitant de voir l’une des photographies historiques de Wolcott de 1939 proposée dans la vente aux enchères d’oeuvres sur papier et gravures : lot 104, Jitterbugging on a Saturday Night in Juke Joint near Clarksdale, MI, 1939.

    Lot 153: Harold Town, Stretch Blue on Grey
    serigraph, 40 x 28.5 ins
    Estimate: $300-400

    Stretch Blue on Grey de Harold Town est une œuvre d’art fantastique. Les bandes bleues allongées sont amusantes et ajouteraient la touche parfaite de couleur à une pièce. Ayant été complétée en 1971, elle porte l’esthétique « mod » des années 60/70, mais elle pourrait aussi passer pour une œuvre contemporaine. Avec une estimation de seulement 300-400 $, c’est vraiment une belle opportunité !

    Lot 168: Ivan Eyre, Echo
    etching, 10 x 13 ins
    Estimate: $300-400

    Echo par Ivan Eyre est un autre exemple de la technique d’eau-forte, ainsi qu’un exemple de l’accessibilité des gravures de l’artiste comparativement à ses peintures à l’huile. Eyre est un artiste contemporain dont le travail est en demande au niveau des galeries et des enchères. La peinture d’acrylique d’Eyre, Amber Pass, figurait dans la vente aux enchères en salle de Cowley Abbott en juin 2021, avec une estimation de 80 000 à 120 000 $, et l’œuvre s’est vendue bien au-dessus de l’estimation, pour 228 000 $. Les tirages de l’artiste, comme Echo, estimé entre 300 et 400 $, sont évidemment un moyen beaucoup plus accessible de posséder une de ses œuvres. Bonus : c’est joliment cadré !

    Lot 76: Catherine Widgery, Businessman with Attaché Case
    painted aluminum
    Estimate: $1,500-2,000
    Lot 81: Catherine Widgery, Woman with Baby Carriage
    painted aluminum
    Estimate: $1,500-2,000

    Deux maquettes en aluminium pour l’installation artistique « City People » de Catherine Widgery sont proposées dans la vente Trois Dimensions. Situé sur la rue Front en face de la gare Union à Toronto depuis 1989, « City People » est composé de diverses figures de piétons en aluminium peint – certaines sont fixées au mur, tandis que d’autres sont montées sur des piédestaux. Businessman with Attaché Case et Woman with Baby Carriage présentent des occasions amusantes de posséder un morceau du processus de Widgery dans la création de la célèbre installation artistique.

    Je vous invite à parcourir les trois sessions d’enchères de février. N’hésitez pas à nous contacter pour toute information complémentaire à info@cowleyabbott.ca. Les enchères se terminent le 1er mars 2022.

  • Rare & Important Work by Bush, Riopelle and Harris Make Their Canadian Auction Debut This Fall with Cowley Abbott

    Jack Bush, Purple, Lime, Brown (1965)

    Cowley Abbott’s Fall Live Auction of Important Canadian Art, November 22, features important artworks by Jack Bush, Jean Paul Riopelle, Lawren Harris and William Kurelek, among many other Canadian masters.

    Toronto, ON (November 1, 2021) – As the Canadian art market continues to experience overwhelming interest and activity, with the highest level of collector engagement in more than a decade, art auction house Cowley Abbott is returning to a live in-person auction event, the first in more than a year due to the pandemic. Cowley Abbott’s Fall Live Auction of Important Canadian Art takes place on Monday, November 22 at 7pm ET at the Four Seasons Hotel, 60 Yorkville Avenue, Toronto, and offers a hybrid of in-person, absentee, and real-time online and phone bidding.

    In June, Cowley Abbott’s Spring Live Auction of Important Canadian Art saw a staggering 96 per cent of artworks sold, with two-thirds of the works exceeding the high-end of pre-auction expectation with active global bidding participation welcomed via absentee, telephone and real-time online bidding. The upcoming fall auction is also drawing significant pre-sale interest, with a registration list for limited in-person bidding.

    “The pandemic has influenced a boom in the Canadian art market at auction. As collectors continue to spend more time at home, they are choosing to update and beautify their surroundings; while some are parting with rare and quality works of art that they have considered selling for years to make room for new work and still others are looking to art as a more active part of their investment portfolio,” said Rob Cowley, Canadian art specialist and President of Cowley Abbott. “It has led to many important and rare works being presented at auction and contributed to driving record-setting sales while countless individuals engage actively in their passion to collect.”

    Among the Fall Auction highlights is Jack Bush’s Purple, Lime, Brown (1965) (auction estimate: $350,000 – $550,000), owned for decades by beloved singer and variety show host Andy Williams and his wife Deborah. The painting is an excellent example of Bush’s best work in oil and is from a significant period in his career. It was created the same year, and is of similar importance and quality to Bush’s Column on Browns, a canvas that set an artist record at auction, selling for $870,000 at Cowley Abbott in fall 2020. Purple, Lime, Brown is expected to attract similar interest from collectors.

    Purple, Lime, Brown debuted to the public in 1965 during Bush’s first solo European exhibition at London’s Waddington Galleries. That year, Bush took a hiatus from showing in Canada to make a strong first impression overseas, reserving nine of his best paintings from 1964 and early 1965.

    After Williams passed away in 2012, four significant Bush paintings from their collection went up for auction in 2013, however the estate held on to Purple, Lime, Brown until March 2021, when it was sold at auction in New York. With pandemic travel restrictions in place, and prioritizing safety, the painting could not be examined in person by the artist’s estate prior to the New York sale, leading to the painting being offered without its title, concrete date and confirmation of its history.

    The painting returned to Canada, after 56 years abroad, where upon inspection with the painting removed from its stretcher, the artist’s inscription of title and date were revealed and its history fully researched and confirmed by the estate of Jack Bush, establishing the painting as Purple, Lime, Brown, an important 1965 work by the celebrated colour-field painter.

    While the primary market for works by Canadian artists is in Canada, Cowley Abbott has seen a spike in global interest. This auction features several important Canadian works from global collections that could find a new home back in Canada.

    Drawing pre-sale attention is an important work by celebrated artist Jean Paul Riopelle. Painted while the artist lived abroad, Sans titre (circa 1959) (auction estimate: $300,000 – $500,000) has primarily been owned outside of Canada by collectors, galleries and auction houses in New York and London. The painting makes its Canadian auction
    debut with Cowley Abbott this season.
    A rare depiction of the Quebec landscape, Lawren Harris’ Near Métis, Quebec is appearing for the first time at auction this season, the charming composition already drawing bidder interest from across Canada.
    William Kurelek, Behold Man Without God (#3) (auction estimate: $60,000 – $80,000) is a well-known image for the artist, as versions of this painting currently hang in the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Winnipeg Art Gallery. It is a highly personal and dark portrait of human hypocrisy, with a title that gestures toward religious redemption that
    signals a harrowing and transformative moment in his life.
     
    When Kurelek created multiple versions of a painting, it underlined his valuation of the message. However, his replicated work tended to be bucolic Prairie landscapes coveted by collectors. He rarely reprised scenes of devastation and violence, or paintings that emphasized his devout Roman Catholic worldview. In this regard, the Behold Man Without God series is remarkable. Consigned from a New Jersey collection. 
    Molly Lamb Bobak’s, Beach Crowd (auction estimate: $40,000 – $60,000) is a prime example of the artist’s lively crowd scenes, her most celebrated subject, and could break the artist’s record at auction (Highland Games, Fredericton established the artist record in 2019, selling for $100,300 at Cowley Abbott). Beach Crowd comes from a private collection in Boston.
    Kim Dorland’s, Alley, (auction estimate: $25,000 – $30,000) was painted in 2006, when Dorland had solidified his artistic style and was beginning to see significant success in the gallery world.The scene, with graffiti on the garage door, recalls the gritty, working-class environment Dorland grew up in and challenges the conventional notion of the romantic Canadian landscape.
     
    Cowley Abbott set the auction record for the contemporary painter’s work in spring 2021 with Green Tree Blue Tree fetching $66,000. Interest in Alley (which has been exhibited in shows and reproduced in publications related to Dorland’s career) is already receiving strong interest to potentially challenge the high-mark. From a New York City collection.
    Cornelius Krieghoff’s Ladies and Habitant Sleighing in Winter (auction estimate: $25,000 – $35,000) exhibits the hallmarks of a classic snowy landscape by the artist. A highly sought-after subject matter, the winter sleighing scene was one Krieghoff returned to often and continues to be a coveted token of early Canadian art, culture, and life.
    From a collection in Arizona.
    Frederick Verner painted Elk Browsing (auction estimate: $30,000 – $40,000) when he was at the height of his career in 1888. This oil on canvas reflects his confidence in broadening the range of subject matter for his art, and was a departure from his depictions of buffalo and First Nations peoples, for which he was renowned. From a California collection and a descendant of Henry Winnett – who was a well-known hotelier in Toronto, London and Niagara in the late 1800s/early 1900s.
    The influence of the Group of Seven and Lawren Harris is evident in Reflections in the Melt Water (auction estimate: $12,000 – $15,000) by Doris McCarthy, signified by the stripped back arctic landscape emphasized by simple abstract shapes. C
    onsigned from a collector in Nebraska.

    For more highlights, an online catalogue and an interactive virtual preview, please visit CowleyAbbott.ca. Located across the street from the Art Gallery of Ontario on Dundas St. West in Toronto, Cowley Abbott is open to the public by appointment, allowing collectors to view artwork on offer in the gallery. Offering more previewing hours than any other major auction house this season, public viewing of the fall auction is open Monday to Saturday (and Sunday, November 21st) until the sale day on November 22nd.

    Since its inception in 2013, Cowley Abbott’s live and online auctions have included headline-grabbing works such as a rare 100-year-old Tom Thomson portrait (Daydreaming, sold for $172,500); and a celebrated depiction of Kensington Market by William Kurelek (Hot Day in Kensington Market, sold for $472,000). Their inaugural live auction in May 2016 set the record for the highest-selling Algoma sketch by Lawren Harris, fetching $977,500, tripling the previous auction record. Their Fall 2020 virtual live auction set a new artist record for Jack Bush with Columns on Brown selling for $870,000 with their Spring 2021 virtual live auction witnessing an unprecedented 96% of artworks sold.

    Those interested in consignment can arrange a complimentary and confidential consultation by contacting Cowley Abbott’s specialists at 1-866-931-8415 or mail@cowleyabbott.ca. Preliminary auction assessments are offered on a complimentary and confidential basis with no further obligation.

  • Quebec Abstraction, from Gestural to Hard-Edge, in Cowley Abbott’s Fall Live Auction

    Jean Paul Riopelle, Sans titre (circa 1959)

    Cowley Abbott’s 2021 Fall Live Auction of Important Canadian Art presents strong examples of Quebec post-war abstract painting, by artists who took varying approaches to gestural and hard-edge styles within a thriving and groundbreaking art scene.

    Canada’s breakthrough into abstraction largely began in Montréal in the 1940s. ​​Two avant-garde artistic groups came to dominate the Quebec art scene: les Automatistes, formed in the mid-1940s who shared an interest in gestural abstract painting inspired by the surrealist practice of automatic writing and drawing, and the Plasticiens, a hard-edge abstraction movement formed in 1954 by a group of artists who sought a return to order and control.

    The catalogue cover lot, Sans titre (circa 1959) (pictured above) is a masterpiece by Jean Paul Riopelle, one of Canada’s most celebrated artists. The oil on canvas contains energetic brushstrokes that are at once controlled and spontaneous. Riopelle was a prominent member of Les Automatistes and signatory of the 1948 manifesto Refus Global, until he moved to France in 1947. There, he became acquainted with André Breton and the Surrealist circle. After many exhibitions and an active artistic production, including Sans titre (circa 1959), Riopelle returned to Québec in 1972.

    Marcel Barbeau, Rétine Ying Yang

    Rétine Ying Yang by Marcel Barbeau is a bold and mesmerizing black and white abstract canvas. A fellow member of Les Automatistes, Barbeau was also influenced by post-war abstract movements in France, and his travels in Europe and the United States. These experiences helped him form a distinct and more international style of abstract painting. Rétine Ying Yang is aligned in formalist concerns with Op Art, an extension of hard-edge painting characterized by lines, shapes and movement that appear to the viewer as a result of optical illusions. The painting was completed in 1966, while Barbeau was living in New York City and exhibiting with the American Op Art School.

    Jean McEwen, Suite des pays vastes

    Born in 1923, Jean McEwen trained as a pharmacist at the University of Montreal and wrote poetry for Québec based literary journals. As a self-taught artist, he was most interested in the feelings that paintings gave him and the exploration of colour and light. McEwen was mentored by Automatiste artist Paul Émilie Borduas in the early 1950s and traveled to Paris for a year to study with Jean Paul Riopelle. Following his European sojourn, the artist adopted a style that loosely combined French Impressionists as well as American Abstract Expressionism. Suite des pays vastes, dating to 1972, embodies McEwen’s signature style of large, open areas of layered and softly-applied colour, creating complex and moody compositions.

    Rita Letendre, WYKI

    As one of the few women artists at the centre of abstract art in Canada, Rita Letendre holds an important position in Canadian art history, having produced some of the most innovative examples of post-war art. She is an example of a painter who fluctuated between gestural and hard-edge abstraction throughout her prolific career. WYKI, dating to 1975, explores her fascination with depicting speed and vibration. The use of the airbrush technique, combined with sharp wedges or arrows that cut across the image plane, was characteristic of her large canvases from the decade. 

    Jacques Hurtubise, Rose Slush

    Jacques Hurtubise attended the École des beaux-arts de Montréal until 1960, when a grant enabled the young painter to spend nine months in New York. There, he became enamored with the spontaneous and gestural painting of the Abstract Expressionists, such as De Kooning and Pollock. Hurtubise divided his time between Montreal and New York for much of the 1960s, as he developed his unique style that straddled painterliness and hard-edge painting throughout his career. Rose Slush contains Hurtubise’s signature ‘gestural splash’ forms, during the 1980s when he was exploring the theme of symmetry.

    These five abstract paintings in the November 22nd auction serve as fantastic examples of the varying and converging directions taken by Quebec’s avant-garde artists in the post-war era. Of course, the sale also includes numerous other important works of art on offer, by historical, Group of Seven, abstract and realist, Indigenous and contemporary artists. The complete catalogue of artworks included in the Fall Live Auction of Important Canadian Art can be found by following this link. For more information on the sale, to book a private preview appointment, and for  information on our consignment process, please contact us at info@cowleyabbott.ca.

  • Collecting Opportunity: October Abstractions Online Auction

    Rita Letendre, Momentum

    Our current October online auctions offer a wide range of artworks by renowned Canadian artists, representing the country from coast to coast. The Abstractions Auction offers many commanding and stunning artworks to tempt the eye, while appealing to all levels of collectors. The artistic post-war movements that propelled Canadian art forward after the Group of Seven were innovative and exciting, demonstrating the influence of world views and a new social dialogue. 

    • Claude Tousignant, #5-79-102
    • Claude Tousignant, #3-75
    • Claude Tousignant, C-1-78
    • Claude Tousignant, Oscillations 1956

    Four captivating works by Claude Tousignant are exemplary of the artist’s minimalist, expressionist and abstractionist style. The vibrant colours, rich tones and large compositional format of these artworks make them an incredible addition to any discerning collection.

    Harold Town, “Abstraction” (1957)

    Harold Town, a founder and member of Pahinters Eleven, as well as an accomplished artist, is represented by a variety of works on paper and a delicate sculptural object. Works by this abstract artist from Toronto are highly sought after, instantly adding energy and vibrance to a varied collection of art.

    Harold Town, Untitled (Egg)

    Harold Town painstakingly created a small number of these “eggs” and gave them as Christmas gifts. The artwork is a symmetrical collage, careful applied upon a plastic egg from which a pair of women’s pantyhose were packaged (as was the packaging used by “L’eggs” from the late 1960s until the early 1990s).

    Rita Letendre, Danna

    Two significant lots in the auction by Rita Letendre, a leading member of the colourist movement, exemplify her fascination with depicting speed and vibration. Momentum (Lot 2) and Danna (Lot 42) are both a testament to her artistic practice.

    Sorel Etrog, Etrusco (Study)

    Multiple distinctive sculptures are featured in this auction, providing an attractive and dynamic option for a collector. Etrusco (Study) by Sorel Etrog (lot 10) is a diminutive work by the artist, measuring 4.75 x 1.5 x 1.875 inches (overall). Further sculptural works by Anthony Quinn (lot 11), Antonio Kieff Grediaga (lot 47), Roger Cavalli (lot 48, 49, 50) and Ruben Zellermayer (lot 52 and 53) are lots to pay attention to in the final day of bidding, as they are both accessible in terms of value and add three dimensionality to a gathering of artworks at home or in the office.

    Léon Bellefleur, Les écluses

    Key post-war highlights in the auction include Les écluses by Léon Bellefleur (lot 1), Carmina Burana No.1 by William Ronald (lot 3), Fentes by Yves Gaucher (lot 44) and Bi-Ocre by Guido Molinari (lot 45).

    Yves Gaucher, Fentes

    The complete catalogue of artworks included in the Abstractions Online Auction can be found by following this link. For more information on our three current online auctions, how to book your private preview appointment at the gallery, or our consignment process, please contact us at info@cowleyabbott.ca and one of our specialists would be delighted to assist you.

  • Introducing Cowley Abbott’s Partnership with the Estate of William Ronald

    Jack Bush, Untitled (circa 1958)
    A gift of Jack Bush to William Ronald (Collection of the Estate of William Ronald)

    Cowley Abbott is privileged to be working with the Estate of William Ronald in the offering of artwork from the artist’s collection at auction. There are currently two Cowley Abbott auctions with artwork and items from the estate: one artwork in the June live auction and a separate William Ronald estate online auction.

    We are delighted to begin this collaboration with the offering of Jack Bush’s Untitled (circa 1958) in the upcoming June 9th Live Auction of Important Canadian Art, marking the artwork’s debut at auction. The brightly coloured gouache was a gift from Bush to his fellow Painters Eleven member William Ronald. The two Toronto-based artists were prominent figures in the formation of the influential artists’ group in the 1950s. Painters Eleven helped to introduce abstract painting into the mainstream of Canadian art, which, until that point, had been dominated by the aesthetic of the Group of Seven.

    Untitled (circa 1958) was painted during a key period when Bush was breaking completely from figurative painting to embrace abstraction. During the spring of 1958, Bush visited New York City and saw the work of William Ronald at the Kootz Gallery. Ronald moved to New York shortly after the formation of Painters Eleven in 1955 and began exhibiting with Samuel Kootz in 1957.  Prior to this, Ronald arranged to have Painters Eleven invited to exhibit in the annual exhibition of the American Association of Abstract Artists at the Riverside Museum in New York City. This exposure would introduce Ronald, Bush and their peers to a wider audience and give them an international standing.

    Jack Bush, Helen Ronald & William Ronald
    at the Painters Eleven opening at the Riverside Museum, New York on April 9th, 1956
    (photograph courtesy of Helen Ronald / The Estate of William Ronald)

    Ronald became friendly with fellow abstract painters of the New York School including Mark Rothko and Franz Kline. The art critic Clement Greenberg introduced both artists to many leading Abstract Expressionists and early Color-Field painters, and praised the work of Painters Eleven. As recounted by Helen Ronald, the two painters met up one day in 1958 so that Bush could show Ronald the new direction he was taking in his painting–one that was encouraged by Greenberg. Helen remarked: “Bill was surprised that Jack still cared about his opinion, especially as he felt there may have been some lingering hard feelings over his resignation from Painters Eleven the previous year.” During this encounter, Bush presented the colourful gouache on paper Untitled (circa 1958) to his friend as a gift. Helen adds “I remember Bill describing how enthusiastic Jack was about his new direction in painting and how much he appreciated Bill’s arranging for Greenberg to visit Painters Eleven. Bill then showed me the impressive, beautiful work on paper which we’re now calling the “Gouache for William Ronald” by Jack Bush. It was totally different than any of the many paintings by Jack that I’d seen before. It made an indelible impression.”

    While Ronald gave away most of the artworks he collected throughout his life, he was so touched by the Jack Bush gouache that he held onto it for the rest of his life. Helen Ronald believes the time has come to pass the work on to a new owner, stating: “At this time in my life, I’m organizing my archive for the future. I’m pleased to say that it’s now time for someone else to take care of this beautiful work of Jack’s.” Cowley Abbott is fortunate to be offering this painting with such a unique and interesting provenance; it is rare to come across an artwork that was a gift between two famous artists. Untitled (circa 1958) will be included in the forthcoming “Jack Bush Paintings: A Catalogue Raisonné”.

    Cowley Abbott has a strong record at auction for the work of Jack Bush, including most recently the 1965 canvas Column on Browns which sold for $870,000 in December 2020. We continue to introduce rare and important examples of his work to the market, which have been consistently selling to advantage. We eagerly await this season’s live auction on June 9th, with much anticipation for the Jack Bush gouache on paper, among many other important Canadian artworks.

    Cowley Abbott has commissioned a newly written biography of the art career of William Ronald containing previously unknown information sourced from the archives of The Estate of William Ronald. The biography can be found on Cowley Abbott’s website by following this link.

    William Ronald in 1958 in Kingston, New Jersey
    (photograph courtesy of Helen Ronald / The Estate of William Ronald)

    In addition to the offering of the Jack Bush gouache in the June live auction, Cowley Abbott is also hosting the online auction, From the Estate of William Ronald, with bidding open between May 18th and June 1st. The auction includes artwork and ephemera acquired by William Ronald as gifts and trades with artists, galleries, friends and for his charitable work, the grouping providing a glimpse into the taste and community of William Ronald. This eclectic themed auction gives art collectors the first opportunity ever to purchase items from the personal collection of this influential artist. 

    You can view and participate in the online auction by following this link.