Tag: William Kurelek

  • Demystifying the Art Auction: Advice for Aspiring Collectors

    Ghitta Caiserman-Roth, Lanterns

    With 262 lots in our March Online Auction of Canadian and International Art, we see artwork for sale with a very large range in value. Although the covetable A.J. Casson and Albert Henry Robinson oil paintings garner much attention from seasoned collectors, it is worth noting the remarkable value and quality of the many more modestly priced artworks for sale. While estimates range from $50 to $15,000, there can be a tendency to believe that only the high-profile items are relevant and worthy of attention within the art market. There is also a misconception that art auctions do not offer anything affordable to begin with. The reality is that art of good quality and value can be found at any price, and an art auction can be the ideal place to find it.

    If you have an interest in starting an art collection, an auction is a perfect place to do so and should not be intimidating. The quality and value of the lower estimated artworks can be far superior to something of the same price at a commercial gallery or retail store. I have compiled a selection of nine noteworthy artworks from our March online auction, in a variety of styles and mediums, each of which are estimated to sell for below $1000. As a young professional in the art world, I would like to demonstrate that it can be accessible to all, regardless of one’s budget. The concept of building an art collection does not have to be so far out of reach.

    A few things to keep in mind: The estimate is our prediction of the selling price based on previous sales of similar works at auction – however, it is possible for the work to sell for below or above the estimate. Also note that a buyer’s premium of 15% and applicable taxes are added to the final selling price of an artwork. All of the following artworks are framed, avoiding any extra costs and making it easy to instantly hang up on a wall.

     

    Conyers Barker, Toronto Skyline

    Lot #30
    Ernest C. Barker
    Toronto Skyline
    oil on board
    signed and dated ‘28 lower left; signed, titled and dated 1928 on the reverse
    8.5 x 10.5 ins ( 21.6 x 26.7 cms )
    Estimated: $300.00 – $500.00
    For the Toronto native or admirer of architectural history, this original oil painting illustrates a very early view of Toronto’s skyline – dating to 1928. The semi-abstract composition in mint green and lavender provides a rare depiction of Toronto from a past time.

     

    Ghitta Caiserman-Roth, LanternsLot #90
    Ghitta Caiserman-Roth
    Lanterns
    oil and gouache on masonite
    signed and dated 50 lower right
    22 x 54 ins ( 55.9 x 137.2 cms )
    Estimated: $500.00 – $700.00
    For the year 1950, the artwork has a very contemporary aesthetic to it, in the quasi-abstract lanterns and moody colour scheme. A Montreal native, Caiserman-Roth studied at the Parsons School of Design and Art Student League in New York, as well as the Musee des Beaux Arts in Montreal.

     

    A.J. Casson, Oriental PoppiesLot #132
    A.J. Casson
    Oriental Poppies
    linocut
    signed, numbered 27/30 and dated 1986 in the lower margin
    7 x 7.5 ins ( 17.8 x 19.1 cms ) ( subject )
    Estimated: $400.00 – $600.00
    Casson was a prominent member of the renowned group of Seven, the most internationally recognized association of Canadian artists. While his oil Sombre Day, Lake of Bays is the highest valued artwork in the March auction, the prolific artist produced numerous prints which sell for a more modest price. The brightly coloured flowers of this linocut has a fresh, modern palette and Pop Art quality to it.

     

     

    W. Kurelek, The SlamLot #143
    William Kurelek
    The Slam
    colour lithograph
    signed within plate; signed and numbered 96/225 in the lower margin
    12 x 9.5 ins ( 30.5 x 24.1 cms ) ( subject )
    Estimated: $400.00 – $600.00
    For the sports fan, Kurelek’s lithograph is a playful, whimsical rendition of a mixed-doubles tennis match. A very popular artist whose original works sell for high prices, Kurelek’s prints are still very much in demand, though at a much more affordable price range.

     

     

     

     

    N. Morrisseau, Shaman Astral Guide IILot #161
    Norval Morrisseau
    Shaman Astral Guide II
    colour serigraph
    signed, titled and numbered 91/220 in the lower margin
    29 x 13 ins ( 73.7 x 33 cms )
    Estimated: $300.00 – $400.00
    A self-taught painter, printmaker, and illustrator, Morrisseau’s colourful images depicting First Nations subjects were initially criticized in the Native community for its disclosure of traditional spiritual knowledge. Morrisseau came to develop a very strong reputation, completing many commissions including the Indians of Canada Pavilion at Expo 67. This large serigraph offers a very colourful addition to a room, along with carrying cultural significance.

     

     

     

    J. Hinton, Brooklyn Bridge DoubleLot #172
    Jane Hinton
    Brooklyn Bridge Double (1994-99)
    silver print
    edition 1/10
    14 x 40 ins ( 35.6 x 101.6 cms )
    Estimated: $400.00 – $600.00
    A contemporary Toronto photographer, Hinton has exhibited internationally and her work is found in numerous collections around the world. The artist is particularly fascinated by bridges, with Brooklyn Bridge Double (1994-99) being an example. Hinton’s work is currently for sale at an art gallery at much higher prices.

     

    E. Bartram, Island Cove, Georgian BayLot #174
    Ed Bartram
    Island Cove, Georgian Bay
    etching with hand colouring
    signed, titled, dated 1998 and inscribed VE 1/10 in the margin
    25.5 x 31 ins ( 64.8 x 78.7 cms )
    Estimated: $500.00 – $700.00
    Ed Bartram provides a very contemporary take on the Group of Seven’s favourite subject: Georgian Bay. The large size, brand-new frame and jewel-toned blues make this etching an eye-catching addition to any room and art collection.

     

     

    F. Armington, Monte CarloLot #201
    Frank Armington
    Monte Carlo
    watercolour
    signed lower right, titled and dated 1919 lower left
    15.5 x 12.25 ins ( 39.4 x 31.1 cms ) ( sight )
    Estimated: $600.00 – $800.00
    Armington is a Canadian born and raised artist, although the majority of his work depicts European scenery. Based in Paris from 1905 to 1939, the artist portrayed French urban and rural landscapes in a variety of mediums, including etchings, lithographs and watercolours.

     

     

     

     

    K. Saito, Girl With CatLot #217
    Kiyoshi Saito
    Girl with Cat
    block print
    signed in lower margin
    5 x 7.25 ins ( 12.7 x 18.4 cms ) ( subject )
    Estimated: $300.00 – $400.00
    This adorable woodblock print seems to speak for itself. Saito was one of the first Japanese printmakers to have won at the Sao Paulo Biennale in 1951.

  • J.E.H. MacDonald’s “Tracks and Traffic” sketch fetches $230,000 in Fall Auction

    J.E.H. MacDonald, Tracks And Traffic, 1912Notable Works by the Group of Seven, Jock Macdonald and William Kurelek Also Perform Strongly at November 22nd Sale

    A 1912 oil sketch by Group of Seven member J.E.H. MacDonald sold for $230,000 at auction on Tuesday night, including a 15 per cent buyer’s premium.

    Tracks and Traffic was among several notable works up for sale at Consignor Canadian Fine Art’s fall auction. It had a pre-sale estimated value of between $200,000 and $250,000 not including the buyer’s premium.

    Tracks and Traffic provides a glimpse of what Toronto looked like more than a century ago, depicting a scene from the Harbourfront neighbourhood during the industrial period.

    MacDonald and Lawren Harris were close friends and the pair often painted together in Toronto. Tracks and Traffic was created months after the two artists met in late 1911 and eight years before the Group of Seven was formed.

    Harris sketched the scene from another angle, suggesting that the two artists could have been together during the painting expedition.

    MacDonald’s subsequent oil canvas based on the sketch was included in the Toronto stop of the Steve Martin-curated exhibit The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris, which was presented at the Art Gallery of Ontario earlier this year as well as the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

    Other items up for sale included works from the Group of Seven, Jock MacDonald and William Kurelek.

    An important canvas by Painters Eleven founding member Jock MacDonald, Daybreak from his Modality series, sold for $69,000.

    An oil on panel by Group of Seven member Franklin Carmichael, owned by a descendent of the artist, Bracken, Lansing sold for $69,000.

    A work by William Kurelek, Candy Floss Clouds, sold for $34,500.

    A charming 1907 painting of a mother and child by J.E.H. MacDonald titled A Hill Path, High Park sold for $27,600. The painting is believed to have been a gift from MacDonald to Albert H. Robson, a Canadian art author, historian and former vice-president of the Art Gallery of Toronto (now the AGO) more than a century ago.

    Press Coverage:

    CBC

    680 News

    CTV

  • 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.

  • Record Set For A Rare Harris Algoma Sketch at Consignor Inaugural Live Auction

    Algoma Sketch 48, a rare preparatory oil sketch by Lawren Harris debuted on the auction block at Consignor Canadian Fine Art’s inaugural live auction event tonight in Toronto, fetching $977,500 (significantly above its pre-estimate of $400,000 – $600,000; all prices includes a 15 per cent buyer’s premium, the lowest in the industry). The sale set the record for the highest-selling Algoma sketch by the artist at auction, tripling a previous Harris sketch, Herbert Lake Algoma, which sold for $304,000 in 2013.

    Harris painted Algoma Sketch 48 in 1919/1920 during the time when the Group of Seven officially formed as an association of painters. Consignor acquired the exceptional oil sketch from a private seller halfway across the globe in Australia, whose family originally acquired the work from the Toronto-based Mellors-Laing Galleries in 1940.

    “The value of this particular Harris piece stems from its rarity as an unknown preparatory work for four of the artist’s well-known large canvases,” said Consignor’s Managing Director Lydia Abbott. “That, combined with an increased interest in Harris’s artwork, made for a truly exceptional centerpiece for our Spring Auction of Important Canadian Art.”

    Two other Harris works also fared well at the auction: House, Toronto sold for $115,000 and Shacks sold for $103,500. Additional highlights include:

    “We are thrilled with the performance of our first-ever live auction”, said Rob Cowley, President of Consignor. “The success of the auction not only cements a new tradition for Consignor but also establishes Consignor’s role among Canada’s most notable art auction houses.”

    Since its inception in 2013, Consignor’s auctions have included headline-grabbing works such as a rare 100-year-old Tom Thomson portrait (Daydreaming, sold for $172,500) and an undiscovered William Kurelek (Ukrainian Proverb, sold for $41,400). 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 in an online auction ($310,500), and its June 2014 auction saw eight artists’ records broken.

    Press Coverage:

    CBC

    CTV

    Global News

    Toronto Star

    National Post

  • Important Harris Painting Resurfaces on the Art Market After Nearly 80 Years

    Lawren Harris, Algoma (Algoma Sketch 48)Harris Among Important Canadian Artists Highlighted in First-Ever Live Auction Event for Consignor Canadian Fine Art on May 31, 2016

    (Toronto – March 31, 2016) – An exceptional Lawren Harris oil sketch that was recently discovered in a private collection half way across the globe in Australia, will debut on the auction block nearly 80 years since it was first acquired from a Toronto gallery in 1940.  Algoma (Algoma Sketch 48), an autumn oil sketch painted by Harris in 1919/1920, during the time when the Group of Seven officially formed as an association of painters, is expected to fetch $400,000 to $600,000 at Consignor Canadian Fine Art’s inaugural Live Auction of Important Canadian Art, taking place at the historic Berkeley Church, in downtown Toronto on May 31, 2016.

    In addition to its pristine condition, the value and rarity of this particular Harris sketch stems from the fact that it served as the preparatory work for several of the artist’s well-known large canvases including Island, MacCallum Lake (1921) part of the collection of the Vancouver Art Gallery; as well as for three others: Northern Island, Northern Painting XXV, 1924; Northern Painting 25, Northern Island II; and Island, Northern Painting XXI, which are all believed to currently reside in private collections.  Harris first visited the Algoma region of Ontario in 1918 and returned on multiple occasions with fellow members of the Group of Seven. Algoma Sketch 48 was acquired by an anonymous buyer in 1940 from the historic Laing Mellors Gallery in Toronto, later travelling with the family when they moved overseas.

    “We’re thrilled to offer such an exemplary example of Lawren Harris’ work in our first live auction,” said Rob Cowley, President of Consignor Canadian Fine Art.  “It has become increasingly rare to find a Harris preparatory sketch for any of his well-known works, let alone four.  We made the trip to Australia to secure the consignment personally from the client and we are delighted to be introducing this important artwork to Canadian collectors.”

    Lawren Harris is one of Canada’s most celebrated artists, and his works are currently at the height of popularity with the much-lauded retrospective The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris, co-curated by actor, comedian and art-collector Steve Martin, anticipated to make its Canadian premiere at the Art Gallery of Ontario in July 2016.

    Several weeks of live previews will begin during the first week of May at the Consignor Canadian Fine Art Gallery located at 326 Dundas Street W. Consignor’s inaugural live Spring Auction of Important Canadian Art event will take place on Tuesday, May 31, 7:00 pm at the Berkeley Church, located at 315 Queen St. E in Toronto, ON.

    “Through careful consideration and feedback from our clientele, we decided that it was time to begin this new chapter for Consignor,” said Lydia Abbott, Managing Director of Consignor Canadian Fine Art.  “It is with great enthusiasm that we announce our first live auction of Important Canadian Art this spring with an exciting selection of artwork, including work by many of the most sought-after artists in the art market right now.”

    The live auction event begins a new tradition for Consignor, augmenting its current slate of notable online auctions established over the past three years through Consignor.ca.  Since its inception in 2013, Consignor’s auctions have included headline-grabbing works such as a rare 100-year-old Tom Thomson portrait (Daydreaming, sold for $172,500) and an undiscovered William Kurelek (Ukrainian Proverb, sold for $41,400).  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 viewing artwork for consideration for the upcoming Online Auction of Canadian Art, acting as the second session to the live sale, with bidding open at Consignor.ca between June 1 – 8, 2016.