We have been entrusted with many fantastic artworks this fall auction season and two paintings by Laura Muntz have captured the attention of one of our specialists, Anna. 

“A Little Girl”, originally in the collection of the artist, was exhibited in 1905 in New York at the National Academy of Design. This painting is engaging, not only for its warmth and naturalness of subject, but because Muntz chose to portray more of a country girl than a city girl, within a setting that indicates country life, with the watchful barnyard cat at the girl’s feet.

Muntz was considered a trailblazer for women artists in Canada and painted this dazzling portrait in 1903. The striking figure in this work is modelled after the artist’s niece, Elizabeth. Echoes of this painting can be seen in the subject of “Oriental Poppies” of 1915, a canvas in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario.

We hope you will join us on December 1^st at Toronto’s Globe & Mail Centre when these artworks will make their debut at auction with Cowley Abbott.

« Terre féconde » fût complété en 1961 durant une période charnière de la carrière de Rita Letendre. Au fur et à mesure qu’elle est devenue plus habile avec les matériaux de peinture tout en ayant plus de temps pour travailler, elle a commencé à créer de plus grandes toiles avec des explosions de couleur. Katherine examine la carrière de l’artiste durant cette période et explore le dynamisme que l’on retrouve dans cette toile magnifique.

Ce tableau sera offert dans le cadre de notre vente aux enchères en direct présentant les œuvres d’une importante collection privée d’art canadien qui aura lieu jeudi le 1er décembre à 16 h.

“Terre feconde”, dating to 1961, was completed during a pivotal period of growth in Rita Letendre’s career. As she became better equipped with painting materials and more time to work, she began creating larger canvases with explosions of colour. Katherine looks deeper into the artist’s career at this time and explores the vibrancy of this stunning canvas.

This painting will be offered in our Fall Live Auction of Important Canadian Art taking place this Thursday, December 1st at 4:00 pm. Further details about the painting can be found here: https://cowleyabbott.ca/artwork/AW42100.

Cowley Abbott is pleased to have been entrusted with four dynamic artworks by Marcelle Ferron, one of the most dominant female Quebec artists, in our Fall Live Auction of Important Canadian Art. 

In this video, we discuss the large, vibrant, and dynamic, “Sans titre”, a monumental canvas of 1960. The bold forms move to their own rhythms. At the same time, we can readily feel that they were made by a painter who is moving physically in the space of the canvas. Compellingly animated from a distance, the sweeping forms perform what can be imagined as a perpetual dance of transformation. Close up or standing back, we can appreciate her skillful use of hue, texture, and movement.

We look forward to offering these paintings for sale next Thursday, December 1st at 4:00 pm.

Eryn Brobyn takes a closer look at a Maud Lewis painting included in our Fall Live Auction of Important Canadian Art and shares why the painting caught her eye.

Lot 22, Maud Lewis, “At the Train Station”, oil on board, 11.5 x 13.5 ins, Estimated: $20,000-30,000, Fall Live Auction of Important Canadian Art, Session 1 – Thursday, December 1st at 4:00 pm