Posted by & filed under Cowley Abbott Updates, Cowley Abbott Videos, Sale Updates.

Our November auction of Important Canadian Art is open for bidding between November 20th and 29th with previews starting November 1st.  We understand that not everyone can make it into our gallery in downtown Toronto, to view the artwork in person, therefore we happy to provide a video tour!  Enjoy!

 

Posted by & filed under Cowley Abbott News & Press.

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Tom Thomson, Daydreaming

TORONTO (For Immediate Release) – A rare 100-year-old portrait by Tom Thomson is going up for auction online.  Consignor Canadian Fine Art says Daydreaming is a portrait of artist Thoreau MacDonald, the son of Group of Seven member J.E.H. MacDonald.  The auction house dates the work to sometime between 1913-1915, a few years before Thomson’s untimely death in 1917.  Consignor says “Daydreaming” represents a rare portrait by Thomson, who is best known for painting landscapes of northern Ontario. It estimates the work could fetch between $200,000 and $250,000.

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Posted by & filed under Cowley Abbott Updates.

the-more-you-know copy

Consignor regularly receives contact from clients, looking to receive guidance regarding the possible valuation of their artwork.  It is our pleasure to be of service in providing preliminary “verbal” auction estimates at no charge, based on the auction market for comparable works of art.  

If you are interested in speaking with our specialists and engaging in this confidential and complimentary process, we recommend that you gather certain pertinent details regarding your artwork to assist our team in providing you with the highest (and most accurate) level of initial service.

The following questions will help provide you with some direction through the preliminary steps in the valuation process with our firm.

 

1. Who is the artist of your artwork?

Examine the front and reverse sides of the artwork, looking for a signature from the artist and/or potentially a notation which might 

be present on a gallery or exhibition label.  The identity of the artist is an important valuation factor for our specialists as it allows us 

to compare the artwork directly with other works by the artist which have appeared at auction.

 

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Posted by & filed under Cowley Abbott Updates.

what's next blog picImmediately following the close of an auction, bidders, buyers and consignors typically wonder “What’s next?”  We believe that transparency helps everyone navigate the sometimes confusing denouement of an auction. Below, we’ve answered some of the frequently asked post-auction questions.

How can I tell if I am the successful bidder?

To place a bid on an artwork in our sale, you must be logged in to your collector profile. After a lot closes, within the “Your Bids” screen, the item will be highlighted in either red or green indicating if you were successful (an “X” or “checkmark” will also be displayed). Green highlighting (with a checkmark) indicates that you’ve been awarded the artwork. If successful, you will also receive an e-mail notice indicating your success and the hammer price.

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Posted by & filed under Cowley Abbott Updates.

IMG_2685As with most industry websites, the Consignor site includes a section which features our professional biographies, however we feel they can often miss some of the funny and interesting facts that really help you get to know someone.  We asked Lydia Abbott to complete the questionnaire below in order to provide some insight into her everyday life.

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Posted by & filed under Cowley Abbott Updates.

Maud Lewis, Winter Sleigh Ride - Price Realized $5,520

Maud Lewis, Winter Sleigh Ride – Price Realized $5,520

Our premier auction of Canadian Art came to a close with furious biding on consignor.ca this past Wednesday, September 25th.  Our site traffic spiked in the home stretch, and with only one hour left in bidding, the gallery filled with an eager group of clients who were keen to ensure that they were the high bidders on their favourite works!  We are very pleased to be sending some wonderful works of art to Australia, China, USA, and across Canada.  The past few days have witnessed a steady stream of happy clients, excited to collect their purchases, with many already talking about the upcoming Fall Auction of Important Canadian Art.  Congratulations to everyone who successfully purchased an artwork (or two, or three…)!  Thank you to everyone who visited our gallery to view the previews, placed a bid online, and to everyone who continues to support us.  We are looking forward to revealing our exciting fall auction!

Posted by & filed under Cowley Abbott Updates, How to.

bidding on your iphone
I remember speaking with a prominent Canadian dealer who told me about about a client of his who had missed out on their dream Lawren Harris painting, some years earlier. The client now wanted to get their hands on a Tom Thomson they had been eyeing for a long time. The Thomson was spotted in an auction catalogue for a sale that was scheduled to take place a few weeks later, in a different Canadian city than the where the client and dealer were located. The dealer was scheduled to be on a cruise ship with his wife at the same time as the auction. Not wanting to disappoint the client, the dealer insisted that he could act over the phone as an absentee bidder, and all but promised the Thomson artwork to his client. Despite the very-modern ship, connected completely by wi-fi, the telephone situation was poor. Of the few phones that were available to the guests, most had long lines behind them. The dealer and the client missed out on the Tom Thomson painting that went for a steal at the live auction!