Author: Cowley Abbott

Cowley Abbott’s upcoming fall auction season will showcase important historical, post-war and contemporary Canadian art from collections across the country. These artworks will be featured in the Spring Live Auction of Important Canadian and International Art on November 27th, 2024.

James Wilson Morrice, Venice Night, c.1906

We are delighted to offer three paintings by James Wilson Morrice this fall season at
Cowley Abbott, including the large, panoramic canvas Venice Night painted circa 1906.
This work comes from a private collection where it was enjoyed for decades, before
appearing at auction this fall.

Jean Paul Riopelle was a student of Paul-Émile Borduas in the active 1940s Montreal art
scene; he was also a signatory to the manifesto Refus Global (1948), Canada’s most
famous and influential proclamation of artistic and cultural liberty. He was a prominent
member of the avant-garde group Les Automatistes before moving to France in 1947,
where he became part of the Surrealist circle and gained international recognition. Riopelle
stayed in Paris until 1972, where he would have created Sans titre, a large and expressive
painting dating to 1964.

Jean Paul Riopelle, Untitled, 1964

Marcelle Ferron was also an active member of Les Automatistes and one of the youngest
to sign the Refus Global manifesto, at age twenty-four. In 1953, she moved to Paris, where
she was active in a supportive community of expatriates that included Riopelle. Bold
textures, vibrant hues, and constant motion characterize her large canvas Sans titre,
painted at the height of her creativity in 1959.

Marcelle Ferron, Sans titre, 1959

In the post-war art world of Toronto, the dominant abstract movement was Painters Eleven,
who came together in 1953 to promote then-new forms of largely gestural abstraction by
Canadian artists from Ontario. One of the founding members was Jack Bush, one of
Canada’s most influential artists and, like Riopelle, among the first Canadian painters of his
generation to achieve international success in his lifetime. Bush was a masterful draftsman and colourist, which is exemplified in the large colourful canvas Arc, 1969, featured in our
November auction.

Jack Bush, Arc, 1969

Tom Hodgson also belonged to Painters Eleven, who were influenced by the work of the
Abstract Expressionists, which dominated New York City in the 1950s. Hodgson was
particularly inspired by the expressive paintings of William de Kooning. Cowley Abbott is
thrilled to be offering the monumental abstract work Blue Leotard, dating to 1961.

Thomas Hodgson, Blue Leotard, 1961

We are excited to present these works, along with numerous other rare masterpieces, including historical paintings by Cornelius Krieghoff and many Group of Seven artists, in our
upcoming live auction, which will take place on Wednesday, November 27th at Toronto’s
Globe and Mail Centre. The artwork can be previewed Previewing in Toronto begins at the
Cowley Abbott gallery at 326 Dundas Street West on November 16th, following highlight
previews in Winnipeg and Calgary. We are privileged to host once again another exciting
fall season, and to share these artworks with the auction market and the Canadian art
world at large. For any inquiries about the artwork, auction, or to receive a complimentary
auction catalogue, please contact Cowley Abbott at connect@cowleyabbott.ca or 416-479-9703.