Tag: november auction

  • Un rare dessin au crayon de Lawren Harris en vedette dans le cadre de la vente automnale de Consignor Canadian Fine Art

    (Left to Right) Lawren Harris, Lake Superior (I.D. 463); Emily Carr, European Street Scene; Mary Pratt, Baking Bread; Michael Snow, Off Minor (1958)
    De gauche à droite: Harris, Lake Superior; Carr, European Scene; Pratt, Baking Bread; Snow, Off Minor

    Les œuvres d’Emily Carr, Mary Pratt et Alex Colville seront présentées aux enchères le 23 novembre

    (Toronto – le 1er novembre, 2017) Consignor Canadian Fine Art annonce sa vente aux enchères semestrielle qui inclura un rare dessin au crayon de Lawren Harris, un travail préparatoire d’une de ses toiles les plus renommées, « Lake Superior », qui est présentement affichée dans la collection Thomson au Musée des beaux-arts de l’Ontario. Le dessin, qui appartenait autrefois à son épouse Bess Harris, sera offert aux enchères avec une estimation de 20 000 $ – 30 000 $. Cependant, sa rareté et son importance en tant que précurseur d’une toile majeure pourraient remettre en question le prix record pour un dessin d’un membre du Groupe des Sept. L’œuvre sera offerte à la vente en salle, laquelle aura lieu au musée Gardiner le jeudi 23 novembre.

    « L’importance du dessin au crayon pour Lawren Harris est bien connue » dit Rob Cowley, Président de Consignor. « Il considérait son carnet de croquis et ses crayons tout aussi importants que les huiles et les pinceaux qu’il portait avec lui lors de ses excursions de peinture en plein air. Nous sommes ravis d’avoir acquis cette esquisse importante qui est liée à l’une des œuvres les plus célèbres de Harris. C’est une superbe œuvre d’art et nous prévoyons de fortes enchères la soirée du 23 ».

    Yvonne McKague Housser, amie et collègue artiste de Harris, a décrit sa technique en graphite:  « Ses dessins sont une clé qui ouvre la porte à ce qu’il pensait et peignait…Les dessins étaient importants à titre introductif, afin de clarifier son esprit avant de commencer une toile ».

    L’été dernier, Consignor s’est lancé dans une tournée d’évaluation, voyageant des Maritimes à Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Winnipeg, Regina et Vancouver. Les spécialistes ont invité les membres du public à amener leurs œuvres d’art à des fins d’évaluation. C’est au cours de cette tournée que Consignor a découvert certaines des œuvres les plus exceptionnelles dans le cadre de la vente de novembre, y compris le dessin du lac Supérieur.

    Points saillants de la vente en salle automnale 2017 de Consignor:

    –Emily Carr, European Street Scene, une aquarelle peinte en 1911 lors de sa formation artistique en France (estimation 150 000 $ – 175 000 $), découverte à Calgary, Alberta

    –A.J. Casson, Bridge Over Humber River, une des premières œuvres de Casson créée en plein air (estimation 20 000 $  – 30 000 $), découverte en Colombie-Britannique

    –Mary Pratt, Baking Bread, peintre célèbre des Maritimes (30 000 $ – 40 000 $); et Alex Colville, Recording Line Zero, Near Nijmegen, une aquarelle de la période de guerre (estimation 30 000 $ – 40 000 $), les deux œuvres ont tous deux étées découvertes à Saint John, Nouveau-Brunswick

    En vedette sur la page couverture du catalogue de la vente de Consignor est une toile d’huile de Michael Snow de 1958, intitulée « Off Minor ». La grande toile abstraite appartenait auparavant à Joseph Gladstone, le frère de l’artiste torontois Gerald Gladstone; elle est présentée pour la première fois aux enchères avec une valeur estimée de 40 000 $ – 60 000 $.
    Les œuvres d’art sont présentement exposées à la galerie Consignor Canadian Fine Art, au 326, rue Dundas Ouest. Pour de plus amples renseignements sur l’exposition et la vente en salle, ainsi que pour accéder au catalogue en ligne, veuillez consulter le site internet consignor.ca. La vente se tiendra le jeudi 23 novembre, au musée Gardiner (111, Queen’s Park, Toronto).

  • Rob Chats with CTV’s Your Morning About Fall Live Auction

  • Important Sketch by J.E.H. MacDonald Marks Early Example of Budding Friendship with Lawren Harris

    Tom Thomson, Jean Paul Riopelle, and a well-known work by Jock MacDonald Featured at Consignor’s Fall Live Auction on November 22nd

    (Toronto – November 7, 2016) – Following Consignor Canadian Fine Art’s highly successful live auction debut in May 2016 (that included a record-breaking sale of Lawren Harris’s Algoma Sketch 48), the auction house launches its second live auction event featuring an exciting catalogue of important Canadian works, to be held at the historic Berkeley Church in downtown Toronto on November 22, 2016. A 1912 sketch by founding Group of Seven member and one of Canada’s most celebrated painters, J.E.H. MacDonald, Tracks and Traffic (auction estimate: $200,000 to $250,000), will anchor the auction.

    Tracks and Traffic is a sketch of the well-known canvas that is currently part of the Art Gallery of Ontario’s (AGO) collection, and was recently included in the Toronto showing of the Steve Martin-curated exhibition, The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris. The work provides a glimpse of what the city of Toronto looked like over a century ago, and depicts a scene of the harbourfront neighbourhood at the intersection of Bathurst Street and Front Street during the industrial period.

    It is well known that MacDonald was one of Lawren Harris’s closest friends and the pair often painted together in Toronto. Tracks and Traffic was created just months after the two artists met in late 1911, and eight years before the formation of the Group of Seven. Harris also sketched this scene from another angle, suggesting that the friends could have been together during the painting expedition. If so, the sketch would mark one of the very first examples of members of the Group of Seven painting together.

    “We’re thrilled to follow up on the success of our inaugural live auction, with a strong offering of exemplary artworks by many of Canada’s most beloved artists,” said Rob Cowley, President of Consignor Canadian Fine Art. “The fall catalogue features many artworks hitting the auction block for the first time and we anticipate there will be a great appetite for these works among collectors.”

    Auction Debuts and Highlights:

    • DEBUT – An important canvas by Painters Eleven founding member Jock MacDonald, Daybreak from his Modality series (auction estimate: $70,000 to $90,000)
    • 1962 canvas by internationally celebrated Quebec painter, Jean Paul Riopelle, Forteresse (auction estimate: $140,000 to $180,000)
    • 1912 painting by Tom Thomson, Country Landscape with Stream (Huntsville) (auction estimate: $90,000 to $120,000)
    • DEBUT – Two works by Group of Seven member Franklin Carmichael, owned by a descendent of the artist. Bracken, Lansing oil on panel (auction estimate: $60,000 to $80,000); and a Carmichael watercolour, Forest Landscape (auction estimate: $40,000 to $60,000)
    • A large-scale painting by artist Ted Harrison, who passed away in 2015, The Grecian House (auction estimate: $45,000 to $60,000)
    • Several notable works by William Kurelek including the mixed media painting, Russian Thistles Migrating (auction estimate: $60,000 to $80,000); and Candy Floss Clouds, painted the year of his death (auction estimate: $30,000 to $40,000)
    • DEBUT – A charming 1907 painting of a mother and child by J.E.H. MacDonald titled A Hill Path, High Park (auction estimate: $20,000 to $30,000). The painting is believed to have been a gift from MacDonald to Albert H. Robson, a Canadian art author, historian and former VP of the Art Gallery of Toronto (now the AGO) more than a century ago. The painting, owned by the family of Albert H. Robson, is offered for sale for the first time. 
    • Four paintings by Group of Seven member A.J. Casson including Lumber Mill, 1935 (auction estimate: $35,000 to $45,000)
    • A large-scale work from Harold Town’s highly acclaimed Tyranny of the Corner series, the Hypothesis Set (auction estimate: $20,000 to $30,000)

    To preview the full catalogue online, go to www.consignor.ca. Live previews will take place until November 21 at the Consignor Canadian Fine Art Gallery located at 326 Dundas Street West. Consignor’s Fall Auction of Important Canadian Art will be held on Tuesday, November 22, 7:00 pm at the Berkeley Church, located at 315 Queen St. E. in Toronto, ON.

    Since its inception in 2013, Consignor’s auctions have included headline-grabbing and record-breaking works including Algoma Sketch 48, a rare Lawren Harris preparatory oil sketch that debuted on the auction block at Consignor’s inaugural live auction event in May 2016 and set the record for the highest-selling Algoma sketch ($977,500) by the artist at auction. Other highlights include a 100-year-old Tom Thomson portrait (Daydreaming, sold for $172,500) and an undiscovered William Kurelek (Ukrainian Proverb, sold for $41,400, well above its estimated value). Consignor’s offering of Jack Bush’s Summer Lake broke online auction records in May 2014 for the most expensive painting by a Canadian artist to be sold at an online auction ($310,500), and its June 2014 auction saw eight artists’ records broken.

    Consignor is also holding an online December Auction of Artwork, from December 7-14, 2016. Consignor offers all-inclusive selling commissions and the lowest Buyer’s Premium in the industry. Those interested in consignment can arrange a complimentary and confidential consultation by contacting Consignor’s specialists at 1-866-931-8415 or info@cowleyabbott.ca. Consignor is currently accepting artwork for inclusion in its Spring 2017 auctions.

    Consignor Canadian Fine Art is a partnership between art auction veterans Rob Cowley, Lydia Abbott and Ryan Mayberry (Partner at Mayberry Fine Art and Founder of Consignor.ca). Cowley and Abbott became principals in the venture with Ryan Mayberry, taking Consignor.ca from its original form, as a branch of Mayberry Fine Art, to a separate company focusing on auctions of Canadian art.

  • Fall Auction a Huge Success for Group of Seven & Quality Modern Artworks

    (Toronto – November 26, 2015) Consignor Canadian Fine Art is nearing the end of another successful year with the close of the Fall Auction of Canadian Art on November 25.  The auction invited active client participation from across Canada, with a wealth of consignors, bidders, buyers and visitors to our downtown gallery leading to strong bidding competition, notable results and a high sell rate for the November sale.

    Emerging and established collectors bid well into the evening from the comfort of their homes using Consignor’s proprietary and specialized online auction software. The evening’s high achievers included fine examples by Frank Johnston (and fellow members of the Group of Seven), Illingworth Kerr and Manly MacDonald, three of the many works which fetched values well beyond their pre-sale estimates. A rare nocturne painting by Johnston captured bidders’ interest, March Midnight selling for $12,650 (all prices include the 15% Buyer’s Premium), more than double its estimate. Illingworth Kerr also rocketed past its expectation, Mountain Moon ultimately achieving $11,500, tripling the estimate. Manly MacDonald’s impressionistic painting of the iconic University of Toronto Hart House also easily passed its estimate, Hart House in Winter inviting strong comptetion between bidders and selling for three times the expectation. Each of these paintings found homes in private collections across Canada, the fall auction generating interest and bidding from clients nationally and internationally.

    Artwork by the Group of Seven showed particular strength during the sale with examples by Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald, A.J. Casson, and Frank Johnston performing strongly. Other Canadian historical artists highlights included paintings by John William Beatty, Frederick Loveroff, and John McNaughton, with rare examples by the three painters inspiring competition from bidders. Loveroff’s The Portage, a spectacular oil on canvas that hung comfortably among his Group of Seven counterparts, sold for $19,550, one of the highest prices ever achieved for the painter’s work at auction. A luminous canvas by J.W. Beatty, a favourite during Consignor’s extensive previews in November, sold for $32,200, one of the highest auction results for the celebrated artist’s work, a result deserving of Baie St. Paul‘s evidence of Beatty as a true master of light and colour.

    Equally sought during the fall auction were modern and contemporary artworks by Jean Paul Riopelle, Gershon Iskowitz, Jean-Paul Jerome, William Kurelek, Ted Godwin, William Winter and Maud Lewis, all of whom continue to enjoy excellent results through Consignor’s online auctions. Riopelle’s Sans titre (PM16) fetched $41,400, the estimate exceeded for the wonderful example of the artist’s signature style executed on a unique oval canvas. Captivating paintings by Iskowitz and Godwin were favourites during the November preview, Violet-A and Hidden Valley (B) selling for $17,250 and $21,850, respectively.

    Select highlights from the Fall Auction of Important Canadian Art can be viewed by following this link.

    From the entire team at Consignor Canadian Fine Art, we thank you for supporting us in 2015 and we wish you the best holidays with family and friends. Stay tuned to our website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up-to-date on exciting news and events for 2016!

  • Eye-catching and Significant Artwork With Appeal For All Collectors Featured in Consignor Fall Auction

    Consignor Offers Selection with the Diversity of Today’s Collectors in Mind

    (Toronto – November 9, 2015) – This November, Consignor Canadian Fine Art offers exceptional examples of Canadian art for emerging and seasoned collectors alike. Consignor’s specialists have carefully selected artworks that, together, compose an auction that caters to the interests of a diverse group of collectors. The fall auction includes a range of styles and periods, from landscapes by the Group of Seven, John William Beatty, and Frederick Loveroff, to modern abstracts by Jean Paul Riopelle and Gershon Iskowitz, and a compelling sculpture by acclaimed prairie artist Ivan Eyre. More than 120 artworks will be open for bidding online between November 18 and 25, 2015.

    Previews for the November auction are unparalleled in the industry, lasting several weeks leading to the bidding’s close online at www.consignor.ca. Consignor’s innovative model is ideal for emerging collectors who are still familiarizing themselves with an artist’s work and navigating their own interests as they learn. Because of the extensive duration of the auction preview, collectors can return to the gallery space at 326 Dundas Street West several times to view the artwork, speak with a specialist, and get comfortable with the auction process. President and Art Specialist, Rob Cowley, explains, “Our clients enjoy an inviting auction experience which includes the personalized service of our extended preview time and the convenience of online bidding. This season we also have the pleasure of ameliorating the bidding process by pushing the close to 7:00pm, giving our clients the space to conveniently view the auction and bid in comfort.”

    Auction highlights include Gershon Iskowitz’s Violet – A, the 1979 canvas estimated to fetch between $20,000 and $30,000. Blues, purples, greens and yellow radiate from this lively abstract painting, capturing the essence of the artist’s most celebrated style. Another Canadian giant on offer is Jean Paul Riopelle, with four artworks available, including a stimulating oval shaped canvas, Sans titre (PM16). Thickly painted in the style for which he is most recognized, Sans titre (PM16) is estimated between $30,000 and $40,000.

    For collectors interested in more historical artwork, a rare large oil on canvas by Frederick Loveroff entitled The Portage ($20,000 – $30,000) depicts a landscape typical of his Group of Seven contemporaries, yet distinct in its human presence. Portaging was a physically demanding but essential method of transportation for artists during the first half of the twentieth century who wished to experience the rugged Canadian wilderness. Loveroff’s depiction is a rarely seen perspective in historical paintings from this time.

    Three contemplative artworks by celebrated prairie artist William Kurelek round out this season’s offerings. To My Father’s Village ($10,000 – $15,000) commemorates a significant moment in the artist’s life as he travelled to his father’s village in the Ukraine soon before he passed away. Kurelek had a deep and complex relationship with his father and, as a first generation Canadian, Kurelek felt compelled to visually explore his family’s roots and his generation’s immigrant stories in the prairies and in Toronto.