30 years in Calgary, 6 years in Vancouver and now, later this spring, here on the second floor at Cowley Abbott on Dundas St. in Toronto, Peter Ohler will have a new home to meet with clients and show a selection of Top Quality Canadian Art available for Private Sale. Please feel free to contact Peter at peter@cowleyabbott.ca for more details or drop in to view his recent acquisitions.
One of the recent
acquisitions that will be on display, a wonderful 1927 David Milne oil.
David Milne Under the Porch, Big Moose Lake, Adirondacks, N.Y. 13 September 1927 Oil on canvas 12×16 in.
Milne inventory #207.98
Provenance Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto c.1980 Private Collection Grace Borgenicht Gallery, New York, 1990 Private Collection
Exhibited Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, Centenary Exhibition, 1982, no. 7
The verandah of the staff house at the Glenmore Hotel on Big
Moose Lake provided David Milne with a sheltered painting place on several
occasions. Under the Porch as well as The Glenmore, Big Moose, and
Hotel Across the Way were all painted from this location.
During the five years between the spring of 1924 and 1929,
Milne’s life was split between Big Moose Lake in the summers (where his time
was largely absorbed by building a teahouse) and Lake Placid in the winters
(where he and Patsy ran the teahouse at Ski-T, at the foot of the Intervale
ski-jump). The construction schedule at Big Moose Lake and the responsibilities
at the Lake Placid Club cut heavily into Milne’s painting time and, although he
produced some outstanding paintings, his overall production fell sharply.
David Milne Jr and David P. Silcox, David B. Milne,Catalogue
Raisonné of the Paintings, Toronto, 1998, cat. no. 207.98
Looking through the Prints, Photography and Multiples auction, we see excellent works by the masters of the 20th Century, including Picasso, Motherwell, Dali, Albers and Chagall. But there are two exceptionally rare prints that are wonderful examples of the difference between an etching and an engraving.
River Drifters (River Drivers) by Frank Weston Benson
The first is entitled Rivers Drifters (Drivers) by Frank Weston Benson, who was already an accomplished painter when he took up printmaking. Benson was a member of a group, who became known as The Ten American Painters. They were an exhibition group that included Impressionists, Tonalists and Figure painters, such as Childe Hassam and John Henry Twatchman. William Merritt Chase would join the group later upon the death of Twachtman. Benson was exhibiting with the group when he took up etching recreationally in the early part of the 20th Century. He would have great success exhibiting and selling his work in this medium. His usual subject matter of choice was wildlife or sporting subjects.
However, in River Drifters (Drivers) from 1914, no wildlife is present, instead he has focused attention on two loggers working along the Grand Lake Stream in Washington County. Especially wonderful is the small detail of the pipe in the standing figure’s mouth. This is a fantastic example of the etching technique, where the lines have been burned (etched) onto the plate using a chemical process, having been coated in a substance that is acid resistant called the etching ground. The image is then drawn through the ground to reveal the plate below, which is then bathed in acid etching the plate. When compared to etching, engraving is a much more physical process, where lines are carved into the plate using sharp tools producing a cleaner more pronounced line.
Three Girls on a Chicken (Sasowsky 214) by Reginald Marsh
Reginald Marsh studied under John Sloan at the Art Students League in New York. His subject matter were the people of New York, whether at play on Coney Island, dancing at a night club, riding the subway or just walking the street. Here is another American artist who took printmaking to a new level. Not only was he concerned with the finished product, but he was also obsessed with how he arrived there. Part of his process was making sure the temperature in his studio was just right for printmaking. Marsh was also aware of the age of the bath that his plates were soaked in, recording how long the paper soaked, observing the heating of the plate and the nature of the ink used in printing. Three Girls on a Chicken is from 1941, from an edition of approximately only twenty and is an extremely scarce engraving presenting Marsh at his finest.
Perry Tung viewing the offerings of this month’s online auction
Cowley Abbott is delighted to offer these rare works in our
Prints, Photography and Multiples Auction currently open for bidding until
April 19th.
Anna is a Senior Specialist of Canadian Art at Cowley
Abbott, having more than ten years of experience in the Canadian art world.
While continually remaining highly engaged with all aspects of art and culture,
Anna is passionate about absorbing as much as she can through exhibitions,
shows, talks, publications and more.
The Toronto arts scene is robust, having expanded and grown immensely over recent years. As one of the members of Cowley Abbott who was born and bred in Toronto, Anna, what have you noticed in terms of the arts and culture community in the city?
I grew up going to exhibitions and shows at the AGO, ROM,
TSO, National Ballet, etc. with my parents. I am thankful for those nostalgic
memories, as it fostered a steadfast interest and love for art and culture from
a young age. It is a wonderful sign of growth for the arts community of Toronto
to see new art galleries popping up and art institutions being founded. Private
galleries and auction houses, for example, are no longer primarily located in the
Yorkville area, but are now scattered throughout the city, signalling positive
expansion. The pandemic certainly changed how we interact with and appreciate
art exhibitions, creating exciting virtual opportunities (which Cowley Abbott
embraced), but it really is exhilarating to be back at our Canadian art and
cultural institutions in-person again. Attend an exhibition or show as soon as
you can!
Cowley Abbott now holds a twice-yearly Inuit and First Nations Auction, amongst the many other exciting auctions. This is an exciting venture and one that all of the team feel strongly about in terms of learning and respecting the artwork. You have a profound interest in historical Canadian art, but we hear you also enjoy studying Indigenous art?
I do indeed have a profound interest in historical Canadian
art – anything that I can sink my teeth into that affords me the chance for a
deep dive into research, but this also applies for Inuit and First Nations art.
I had the rare opportunity many years ago to work with and learn from a friend
with vast experience in Inuit art. (Actually, my entrance essay for the
Christie’s Master’s program explored the sculptural creations of the Inuit
artist, Manasie Akpaliapik.) As a result, I enjoy discovering new artists and
having the opportunity to handle Inuit artworks entrusted to CA for sale – the
tactile element is wonderful. With fantastic organizations like The Inuit Art
Foundation, which seeks to support Inuit artists through the beautiful Inuit
Art Quarterly (subscribe today!), as well the recent publications on Indigenous
and Inuit artists from the Art Canada Institute, we can learn more about this
beautiful and unique art form and the many talented artists. Make sure to visit
the AGO’s current exhibition, “Robert Houle: Red is Beautiful”, and read all
you can!
Anna
Holmes can be reached directly by e-mail at anna@cowleyabbott.ca. Stay
tuned for the next installment of “Introducing the Cowley Abbott Team” in
a week!
Patrick graduated from OCADU in 2005 and has 15 years of experience working in fine art galleries and auction houses. Joining the Cowley Abbott team in 2019, Patrick has enthusiastically continued developing his knowledge of historical, modern and contemporary Canadian art.
Patrick, you are immersed in art in all
aspects of your life, as you are an artist yourself! This is of great benefit
to Cowley Abbott and wonderful to have an artist on staff. Can you tell us a
bit about your art practice and inspiration?
It has definitely been useful to draw on a
familiarity with painting materials and processes. I often find myself looking
very closely at paintings and thinking about the process the artist went
through. It is such an immense privilege to be surrounded by incredible works
by so many different artists each day. My own paintings are a mix of different
influences, sort of a dialogue between geometric structures and more painterly
forms. It’s abstract, but I see it as a “content-based abstraction”.
As an alumnus of the Ontario College of
Art and Design, you walked the halls that many celebrated Canadian artists also
frequented. Can you share what your studies at OCAD were focused on and how
that experience informed your decision to work in the art world?
The history associated with OCAD is pretty
fascinating. It’s so rewarding to look at art and also learn about the lives of
artists, local histories and the wider social and cultural contexts. While I
was at OCAD, the focus was very much on studio practice, and it was a great
time to experiment with different mediums and connect with peers and teachers.
Any long-term creative pursuit is going to have ups and downs, but painting
seems to have a way of constantly pulling me back. So I feel very fortunate to
be working in a field where I’m very much engaged with art of the past and
present.
Patrick Staheli can be
reached directly by e-mail at patrick@cowleyabbott.ca. Stay tuned for
the next installment of “Introducing the Cowley Abbott Team” in a week!
Lot 147: Ronald York Wilson, Prehistoric Enigma mixed media on paper, 8.75 x 9 ins Estimate: $400-600
Accessible Art Picks in the February Online Auctions
Cowley Abbott’s February online auctions are divided into three categories: Canada & Abroad, Three Dimensions, Works on Paper & Prints. I am going to highlight some of my (more affordable) picks and provide a bit of background information as to why I chose them.
Lot 14: W.E. Atkinson, Shades of Evening oil on canvas, 20 x 16 ins Estimate: $1,500-2,000
In my previous blog post, I mentioned how I like auctions because they expose you to a wide range of art, making you consider some artworks you wouldn’t have otherwise sought out. For example, I am generally drawn to abstract art because I studied it in school and it is modern and often colourful. If I were to look to buy art at a gallery I would probably seek out a modern art exhibition. That being said, the artworks that strike me the most in this month’s sales would be considered quite traditional: George Reid’s Sketch for “Spring” and William Edwin Atkinson Shades of Evening. They are both soft and romantic, with a very impressionistic quality. This goes to show that auctions can open your eyes to new things – they provide the opportunity to surprise yourself!
Lot 58: Manly MacDonald, Baker House Close, Edinburgh etching, 10.25 x 8 ins Estimate $250-350
Etchings are a beautiful type of printmaking that require an impressive and painstaking technique. The image is first etched by hand into a copper plate, then submerged in acid, then run through a printing press. The process requires an incredible attention to detail with essentially no margin for error, and as a result I feel that etchings deserve more attention than they often receive. Manly MacDonald’s etching Baker House Close, Edinburgh is a charming and delicate depiction of a Scottish street scene, and it has an estimate of only $250-350.
Lot 104: Marion Post Wolcott Jitterbugging on a Saturday Night in Juke Joint near Clarksdale, MI, 1939 gelatin print, 10 x 8.75 ins Estimate: $1,000-1,500
Marion Post Wolcott was a notable American photographer, best known for documenting poverty and deprivation in the United States during the Great Depression. Her photographs are in the collections of large museums such as the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is exciting to see one of Wolcott’s historical photographs from 1939 offered in the February Works on Paper & Prints auction: lot 104, Jitterbugging on a Saturday Night in Juke Joint near Clarksdale, MI, 1939.
Lot 153: Harold Town, Stretch Blue on Grey serigraph, 40 x 28.5 ins Estimate: $300-400
Harold Town’s Stretch Blue on Grey is a fantastic print. The stretched-out blue bands are fun and would add the perfect pop of not-too-bright colour to a room. It was made in 1971, so it bears that 60s/70s mod aesthetic, yet it could also pass as contemporary. With an estimate of only $300-400, it is really a great opportunity!
Lot 168: Ivan Eyre, Echo etching, 10 x 13 ins Estimate: $300-400
Echo by Ivan Eyre is another example of the intricate etching technique, as well as an example of the accessibility of the artist’s prints in comparison to his oil paintings. Eyre is a contemporary artist whose work is in demand at the gallery level and auction level. Eyre’s acrylic painting Amber Pass was in Cowley Abbott’s June 2021 live auction, with an estimate of $80,000-120,000, and the work sold way above the estimate for $228,000. The artist’s prints, such as Echo, with an estimate of $300-400, are evidently a much more accessible way to own one of his works. Bonus: it is nicely framed!
Lot 76: Catherine Widgery, Businessman with Attaché Case painted aluminum Estimate: $1,500-2,000 Lot 81: Catherine Widgery, Woman with Baby Carriage painted aluminum Estimate: $1,500-2,000
Two aluminum maquettes for Catherine Widgery’s art installation “City People” are being offered in the Three Dimensions sale. Located on Front Street across from Toronto’s Union Station since 1989, “City People” consists of various pedestrian figures made of painted aluminum – some are stationary and mounted on the wall, while many are mounted on pedestals. Businessman with Attaché Case and Woman with Baby Carriage are a fun opportunity to own a piece of Widgery’s process in creating the famous art installation.
