Tag: Carr

  • Rare Lawren Harris Pencil Sketch Featured in Consignor Fall Live Auction

    (L to R) Lawren Harris, Lake Superior; Emily Carr, European Street Scene; Mary Pratt, Baking Bread; Michael Snow, Off Minor
    (L to R) Lawren Harris, Lake Superior; Emily Carr, European Scene; Mary Pratt, Baking Bread; Michael Snow, Off Minor

    From Charlottetown to Vancouver, Consignor’s National Travels Yield Notable Works by Emily Carr, Mary Pratt & Alex Colville to be offered on November 23rd

    (Toronto – November 1, 2017) – Behind many masterpieces, there is a sketch that formulates the artist’s ideas and vision. Consignor Canadian Fine Art announces its fall semi-annual auction highlights that will include a rare pencil sketch by Lawren Harris, the preparatory work for of one of his most renowned canvases, Lake Superior, which currently hangs in the Thomson collection in the Art Gallery of Ontario. The sketch, once owned by his wife Bess Harris, carries an auction estimate valued at $20,000 – $30,000; however, its rarity and significance as the precursor to a major canvas could challenge the record for a pencil sketch by the Group of Seven artist. It debuts on the auction block at Consignor’s live auction event taking place Thursday, November 23, 2017at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto.

    “The significance of pencil sketching to Lawren Harris is well known,” says Rob Cowley, President of Consignor. “His pad of paper and pencil were just as important as the oils and brushes he carried on sketching trips. We’re thrilled to have acquired this important piece of narrative in Harris’s creative process, particularly a sketch that is connected to one of his most renowned works. It is a stunning work and we expect lively bidding when it reaches the block on the 23rd.”

    Fellow artist and close friend of Harris, Yvonne McKague Housser quoted the below about the artist’s process in graphite:  “His drawings are a key which open the door to what he was thinking and painting… The drawings were important as an introduction, to clarify his mind before he started a painting.”

    This past summer, Consignor set out on a 10-city Art Roadshow travelling from the Maritimes to Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Winnipeg, Regina and Vancouver, inviting the public to consult with their specialists regarding works of art for valuation. It was during the tour that Consignor discovered some of its most unique offerings and exceptional works including the Lake Superior sketch. Other highlights from the tour, which will be offered at Consignor’s Fall Auction of Important Canadian Art include:

    Featured on the cover of the Consignor fall auction catalogue is a 1958 canvas by Michael Snow titled Off Minor, being offered for the first time at auction with an estimated value of $40,000 – $60,000. The abstract painting, which measures 60” X 36”, was privately owned by Joseph Gladstone, the brother of Toronto artist Gerald Gladstone, and has not been seen at auction until now.

    Live previews are ongoing at the Consignor Canadian Fine Art Gallery located at 326 Dundas Street W. and viewable at consignor.ca. Consignor’s Fall Live Auction of Important Canadian Art event will take place on Thursday, November 23, 7:00pm at the Gardiner Museum located at 111 Queen’s Park, Toronto, ON.

  • Spring Auction Sees Stunning Emily Carr & Other Important Canadian Art Shine

    (Left to Right) Emily Carr, "Arbutus Trees"; Manly Macdonald, "Logging Scene"; Jack Bush, "Quarter Moon"; John Lyman, "Portrait of Marcelle"
    Emily Carr, “Arbutus Trees”; Manly Macdonald, “Logging Scene”; Jack Bush, “Quarter Moon”; John Lyman, “Marcelle”

    The Consignor Spring Auction of Important Canadian Art offered several rare examples of exceptional Canadian paintings, prints and sculpture, enticing both local and international buyers to its semiannual online auction, leading to strong results for an array of artwork.

    Emily Carr ‘s Arbutus Trees, dated 1908, was featured in the May auction as a rare and striking watercolour that showcased Carr’s early experimentation with brilliant hues of orange and purple. Consignor’s standard four-week preview period allowed buyers and enthusiasts alike the opportunity to see Arbutus Trees in context, as the Art Gallery of Ontario was serendipitously exhibiting “From the Forest to the Sea: Emily Carr in British Columbia” at the same time. Carr’s Arbutus Trees sold comfortably for $52,900 (prices include Buyer’s Premium).

    Another special painting in Consignor’s May auction was Manly Edward MacDonald’s Logging Scene. The piece was enthusiastically recognized as an excellent example of the artist’s skill and style. This brought on feverish bidding, which ultimately took Logging Scene far above its pre-sale auction estimate to $9,775.

    Consignor also continues to see excellent results on works of art by Jack Bush. Following the record-breaking success of Consignor’s sale of Jack Bush’s Summer Lake last spring, gouache on paper, Quarter Moon, made its auction debut and exceeded its estimate at $41,400. The artwork was featured predominantly in the main gallery and received praise by both experts and passers-by.

    An additional highlight was John Goodwin Lyman’s Portrait of Marcelle, which sold for $40,250. This portrait, circa 1935, was painted during the climax of Lyman’s career, and is a masterful demonstration of his preoccupation with light, volume, and the human figure. Portrait of Marcelle was selected as the cover illustration for the catalogue of the 1986 travelling retrospective exhibition and remains one of the artist’s largest portraits.

    The results from the auction demonstrate that, whether historical or post-war, quality Canadian artwork is being sought by collectors across the country and beyond. Consignor Canadian Fine Art is a leading auction house, sometimes discovering special works of art on its free valuation days. Consignor regularly visits St. John’s, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver and other cities to meet with clients personally for review of their artwork. To inquire about upcoming valuation days or for questions about consigning, please call toll free 1-866-931-8415 to speak with one of our specialists, email info@cowleyabbott.ca.

  • Debut of Exceptional Works on Paper by Emily Carr & Jack Bush Featured in Consignor Spring Auction

    Emily Carr, Arbutus Trees (1908); Jack Bush, Quarter Moon (1975)

    (Toronto – April 28, 2015) – On the heels of a much lauded Emily Carr retrospective exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario, lies directly across the street at Consignor Canadian Fine Art, a rare and exceptional earlier work by Carr that has never been seen before by the public. Arbutus Trees (1908), a 14.5” X 10.75” watercolour (estimated value $50,000 – $70,000), was acquired by a private owner directly from Carr herself, who at the time was an aspiring artist honing her craft. It has since remained in the family’s estate for more than a century, and will hit the auction block for the first time at Consignor Canadian Fine Art’s Spring Auction of Important Canadian Art, May 20 – 28, at consignor.ca.

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