Tag: Canadian Art
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Franklin Carmichael Masterpiece Featured in Spring Live Auction
(Toronto – May 2, 2017) Two celebrated artworks by Group of Seven painter Franklin Carmichael are the centerpiece to Consignor Canadian Fine Art’s upcoming Spring Live Auction of Important Canadian Art taking place May 25th at the Gardiner Museum, Toronto. A large-scale oil painting, Old Orchard (1940), will make its auction debut having been privately owned by the family of Herbert Laurence Rous, founder of the renown Rous and Mann printing studio where many of the Group of Seven artists began their careers.
The iconic image depicting a neighbour’s orchard, painted from the view of his studio in present-day North York, Ontario, was used as the catalogue cover for Carmichael’s memorial exhibition at the Art Gallery of Toronto (now the AGO) and the Summer 1947 issue of Canadian Art Magazine, following his death. This will be the first time Old Orchard will be on the auction block (estimated between $500,000 – $700,000); however, given its significance, quality and rarity, the artwork is expected to challenge the current record for a Carmichael painting (Frood Lake sold at auction in December, 2002, for $915,000 including buyer’s premium).
As the youngest original member of the Group of Seven, Carmichael is also considered one of Canada’s most renowned watercolourists of the twentieth century. Consignor’s auction also includes a stunning watercolour, The Bay of Islands (1929) estimated at $150,000 – $200,000, a sister version of Carmichael’s Bay of Islands that is part of the Art Gallery of Ontario’s permanent collection.
“Franklin Carmichael’s accomplishments in oil and watercolour are recognized as some of the greatest work produced by the Group of Seven. Both Old Orchard and The Bay of Islands illustrate Carmichael’s mastery of the two media, setting him apart as one of Canada’s preeminent painters,” says Rob Cowley, President of Consignor Canadian Fine Art. “Old Orchard has stood as an example of Carmichael’s best work through its exhibition history over the past 80 years, and we are very excited to be hosting this major work at auction for the first time.”
Consignor’s Spring auction will also offer two important works by Tom Thomson painted in his early career. A modestly-sized oil on canvas, Road Near Leith (1908), estimated between $100,000 to $150,000, was painted at the start of the decade which would see his transformation into one of Canada’s greatest painters; and Fallen Timber (Algonquin) (1912), estimated at $150,000 – $200,000, was painted the first year that Thomson visited Algonquin Park where his most iconic works would be created, and ironically the site of his untimely death in 1917, exactly 100 years ago this July.
“It’s an incredible time for Canadian art as we celebrate our country’s sesquicentennial, alongside unprecedented growth and global attention for painters such as Tom Thomson, Lawren Harris and the Group of Seven and now a feature film about Maud Lewis’s life — combining to reinvigorate the public’s fascination and appreciation for Canadian artists,” says Lydia Abbott, Vice President, Consignor Canadian Fine Art. “The Spring auction features artwork that spans the entire 150 years of Canada’s history and presents a rich narrative of our cultural fabric.”
Other notable Canadian works of art that will be highlighted in Consignor’s live Spring auction include:
- A.Y. Jackson, Madawaska, 20” x 26” oil on canvas (auction estimate $60,000-$80,000)
- David Blackwood, Fire Down on the Labrador, the artist’s most popular print (auction estimate $25,000-$30,000)
- Lawren Harris, Snow-Covered Trees, 1929 gouache (auction estimate $15,000-$18,000)
- Edwin Holgate, Autumn Leaves, 17” x 21” oil on canvas (auction estimate $90,000-120,000)
Live Previews are currently taking place at the Consignor Canadian Fine Art Gallery located at 326 Dundas Street West and viewable at Consignor.ca. Consignor’s Spring Live Auction of Important Canadian Art will take place on Thursday, May 25th, 2017 at the Gardiner Museum located at 111 Queen’s Park, Toronto.
Since its inception in 2013, Consignor’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), an undiscovered William Kurelek (Ukrainian Proverb, sold for $41,400), and 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). Most recently, Consignor’s inaugural live auction event in May 2016 set the record for the highest-selling Algoma sketch by Lawren Harris, fetching $977,500; tripling the previous auction record.
Consignor Canadian Fine Art is currently accepting consignments for its upcoming auctions, including the June Online Auction of Canadian and International Artwork, with bidding open at consignor.ca from June 7-14, 2017. 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.
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Beyond Face Value: A Focus on Portraiture in our Spring Live Auction
Our Spring Live Auction of Important Canadian Art includes a number of portraits by artists from a wide array of backgrounds. In certain works, importance is placed on the sitter’s identity, while in others the model is secondary to a particular sentiment or underlying message. Media and formal qualities such as colour scheme and brushstroke application also play a role in the artist’s intentions for presenting a human figure in a work of art.
The longstanding practice of portraiture was historically intended for documenting and memorializing the rich and powerful. Prior to the invention of photography, a painted, sculpted, or drawn portrait was the only way to record one’s appearance. Customarily, most completed works consisted of a serious, closed-lip stare, rarely demonstrating any emotion beyond a slight smile. In most cases the artist’s objective was to capture the inner essence of the subject – the expression of character and moral quality, as opposed to anything superficial or temporary. Following the invention of photography and developments in modern art, portraiture has evolved as a practice to be much more liberated for personal expression and experimentation.
The artists whose portraits are featured in our Spring Live Auction had the freedom to portray their subjects in their own individual style and for whichever purpose they chose. This blog entry takes a closer look at what makes a selection of six of these artworks significant and what differentiates them from one another, as I believe portraits can be better and further appreciated when a context is provided.
Lot #28
William Goodridge Roberts
Seated Nude (Joan)
oil on canvas
signed and dated “May, 1955” lower right
32 x 25 ins (81.3 x 63.5 cms)
Estimated: $14,000-18,000
Goodridge Roberts (1904-1974) was known for landscapes, portraits and still lifes with vivid colours and expressive brushstrokes. The identity of the sitter is particularly pertinent in this example of the Roberts’ work, as she is the artist’s wife. Painted in 1955, the artwork was acquired by the current owner directly from Mrs. Roberts in 1977. Joan’s relaxed pose, together with the casual interior setting with loosely draped fabric, alludes to a strong sense of intimacy in the picture; this is reinforced by our knowledge of the relationship between the sitter and the artist.
Jean Paul Lemieux
Dame au collier de perles
oil on canvas
signed lower right; titled on the stretcher
20 x 16 ins (50.8 x 40.6 cms)
Estimated: $30,000-50,000
Dame au collier de perles illustrates Jean Paul Lemieux’s ability to highlight human emotion and facial expression. Arguably the most famous Quebecois artist, Lemieux’s (1904-1990) portraits were often influenced by Edvard Munch and the Expressionist school of painting, as they evoke anxiety and the artist’s dark and tragic vision. The unidentified sitter’s powerful stare directly at the viewer exudes anxiousness and vulnerability; it is contrasted, however, with an ornate three-strand pearl necklace and glamorous red dress. A woman wearing a necklace became a recurring motif in Lemieux’s portraits, referencing the popular theme of feminine vanity in Western painting.
Joe Fafard
Painter and His Model (Egon Schiele)
chemical patina on bronze
signed, dated 2015 and numbered 1/3
28.5 x 10 x 10 ins (72.4 x 25.4 x 25.4 cms) (overall)
Estimated: $12,000-16,000
Contemporary sculptor Joe Fafard (b. 1942) created his ‘Mes Amis’ series as a tribute to those who have inspired him in his own artwork, whether it be artists, friends or family members. Exhibited in 2015 at the Slate Fine Art Gallery in Regina, the series included sculptures of several 19th and 20th century artists, such as Emily Carr, Michael Snow, Georgia O’Keeffe, and in this case, Egon Schiele. Fafard depicts the Austrian painter Schiele, who is known for his nude figural works and self-portraits, standing with a naked man hugging him from behind, thus forming “The Painter and His Model.”
Lot #63Evan Penny
L. Faux
plaster sculpture, mounted on a wood frame
43 x 36 x 12 ins (109.2 x 91.4 x 30.5 cms) (overall)
Estimate: $7,000-9,000
Contemporary artist Evan Penny (b. 1952) worked with FX Smith in Toronto in the 1990s, making prosthetics, body doubles and other props for a variety of films. This experience inspired his later three-dimensional works, notably this relief sculpture from the L. Faux series from 2000-2005. The production plaster explores the notion of blurring boundaries between the real and the replica in its extraordinary detail that creates a lifelike three-dimensional portrait of Libby Faux. Executed in high relief, the sculptural aesthetic of L. Faux reminds us of the white marble portrait busts of Ancient Rome.
Randolph Hewton
Portrait of Thomas Archer, Esq.
oil on canvas
40 x 33 ins (101.6 cms x 83.8 cms)
Estimated: $6,000-8,000
A Montreal native who studied in Paris, Randolph Hewton (1888-1960) was a pioneer of Modernism in Canadian painting of the early twentieth century. Portrait of Thomas Archer, Esq. was likely a commissioned work and demonstrates Hewton’s modernist take on the traditional practice of portraiture. The sitter’s attire suggests a formal or professional demeanor, though his cross-legged pose with a book on his lap and cigarette in his hand indicates a more casual or ‘modern’ tone to the painting. Hewton’s use of vibrant colours were at first controversial in Canada, as he had adopted this palette from the European Avant-Garde while in Paris from 1908 to 1913.
Marc-Aurèle Suzor-Coté
Portrait of a Woman
oil on canvas
signed lower right
13 x 12 ins (33 x 30 cms)
Estimated: $5,000-7,000
Marc-Aurèle Suzor-Coté (1869-1937) was a famous French-Canadian artist known for his landscape paintings as well as portraits of their rural inhabitants. The artist had a deep respect and empathy for his sitters, as emphasized in this portrait of a peasant woman in profile. Suzor-Coté was influenced by 19th century French Realist artists such as Jean-François Millet. The Realists had the controversial objective to place importance on the working-class and elevate their status as worthy subjects for portraiture – which had traditionally been reserved for the wealthy.
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Demystifying the Art Auction: Advice for Aspiring Collectors
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.
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.
Lot #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.
Lot #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.
Lot #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.
Lot #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.
Lot #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.
Lot #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.
Lot #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.
Lot #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.
Lot #29
Lot #108