First 5 à 7 of 2025

Posted by & filed under Cowley Abbott Updates.

Thursday, April 10 marked our first 5 à 7 event of the year and Cowley Abbott was delighted to host familiar friends and new collectors! The evening was highlighted with talks from Art Specialist Eryn Brobyn and Senior International and Canadian Specialist Perry Tung. Attendees had the opportunity to view current works up for our April online sale which includes items from the collection of Robert Noakes, Select Canadian artworks and the Art of Atlantic Canada; as well as preview artworks upcoming in our Spring Live Auction.

In our first main floor gallery, Art Specialist Eryn Brobyn spoke on the topic of provenance – the ownership history of a work of art. The group was able to see the back of an artwork with a rich provenance, evident through its artwork labels. Eryn emphasized the rich histories that can be revealed through provenance and the challenges faced in the art world of discovering provenance.

Senior International and Canadian Specialist, Perry Tung, presented on the session Past and Present: International Art from the Collection of Robert Noakes, showcasing artworks from the incredible collection of designer and avid collector Robert Noakes. Cowley Abbott is delighted to present four online auctions showcasing the breadth and depth of his collection, an opportunity not to be missed.

One of our guests, Ali Husnain, shared that “everyone was nice and welcoming and it was my first time at an event like this. There was a lot of variety in the artwork and I was especially drawn to William Kurelek, those paintings felt quintessentially Canadian!”

William Kurelek, Our First Three Homes in Canada, 1966

Thank you to all those who attended, we look forward to hosting more events this auction season. For more information on Cowley Abbott events browse our website and follow us on social media!

Two Masterworks by Frances Anne Hopkins in the Spring Live Auction

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Watch Lydia Abbott discuss two magnificent artworks by Frances Anne Hopkins

The two watercolours in the May 28th live auction represent major subjects of Frances Anne Hopkins’s artistic oeuvre. 

Canoes in a Fog, Lake Superior, is one of several sketches that Hopkins made during her first trip on Lake Superior in July 1864 and formed the basis for the first painting by her to be accepted for exhibition at the Royal Academy in London in 1869 (now in the collection of the Glenbow Museum). Five sketches related to the painting are known to exist and Canoes in a Fog, Lake Superior, is believed to be the first large-scale work prepared. The hues in this watercolour are remarkably bright, and the detail is exquisite, recording the moment when canoeing transformed from being a means of travel and the transport of goods, into a leisure time pursuit.

Lumber Raft on the Ottawa, signed and dated 1886, represents another Canadian theme which Frances Anne Hopkins chose to represent on several occasions. Hopkins would have likely encountered such timber rafts during her journeys on the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. This watercolour shows one of the large timber rafts floating down the river, possibly on Lake of Two Mountains, and is more atmospheric than many of the other works of this subject, with the fog on the river and the cooking fires surrounded by the crewmen. It offers a romantic and enchanting insight into a particular aspect of nineteenth-century Canadian life.

Cowley Abbott is pleased to present these two masterworks for sale on May 28th in the live auction of Select Masterworks of Canadian & International Art. We hope that you will visit the auction preview at the gallery beginning Friday, May 16th to enjoy these rare works on paper by Frances Anne Hopkins.

Frances Anne Hopkins
Canoes in a Fog, Lake Superior, 1864
Frances Anne Hopkins
Lumber Raft on the Ottawa, 1886

TORONTO GALLERY PREVIEW DATES

May 16th to 28th

Monday to Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

May 28th: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Cowley Abbott

326 Dundas St. W. Toronto ON M5A 1G5

SPRING LIVE AUCTION

Wednesday, May 28th at 7:00 pm EDT

The Globe & Mail Centre, 17th Floor

351 King Street East, Toronto

BROWSE AUCTION CATALOGUE

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Explore Captivating Lake Superior Works by the Group of Seven featured in Cowley Abbott’s May 28th Live Auction

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Watch Senior Art Specialist Lydia Abbott share insight on the Group of Seven at Lake Superior

Cowley Abbott’s Spring Live Auction will feature masterworks by artists crucial to the story of Canadian art. Depictions of the northern shores of Lake Superior by the founding members of the Group of Seven will take centre stage, reflecting their travels between 1921 and 1928. Over the course of these eight years, the work of the Group members was transformed by the stunning topography and impact of nature’s power at this remarkable junction of lake and land.

The Spring Live Auction will take place in Toronto on Wednesday, May 28th, and will include artwork by celebrated historical, post-war and contemporary artists. The live auction catalogue is now available online to browse.

Franklin Carmichael
Port Coldwell, Lake Superior, 1928
Lawren Harris
Northern Lake, 1922
A.Y. Jackson
North Shore, Superior, Near Coldwell, 1923
Arthur Lismer
Light Breaking Through, Lake Superior, 1927

TORONTO GALLERY PREVIEW DATES

May 16th to 28th

Monday to Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

May 28th: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Cowley Abbott

326 Dundas St. W. Toronto ON M5A 1G5

SPRING LIVE AUCTION

Wednesday, May 28th at 7:00 pm EDT

The Globe & Mail Centre, 17th Floor

351 King Street East, Toronto

BROWSE AUCTION CATALOGUE

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Calgary Preview

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Cowley Abbott enjoyed a successful preview in Calgary sharing highlights of Select Masterworks of Canadian & International Art with new and seasoned collectors. Thank you to our hosts at Norberg Hall, our guests for attending the various events over the preview and to Canadian Art Hop for including Cowley Abbott in both Calgary and Toronto on the tour.

The auction preview will begin in our Toronto gallery on Friday, May 16th and we are eager to share the artworks with you. We have many exciting upcoming events and our specialists look forward to welcoming you over the coming weeks.

The Spring Live Auction will take place in Toronto on Wednesday, May 28th, and will include artwork by celebrated historical, post-war and contemporary artists. The live auction catalogue is now available online to browse.

AUCTION PREVIEW

May 16th to 28th

Monday to Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saturday & Sunday: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

May 28th: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Cowley Abbott

326 Dundas St. W., Toronto ON M5T 1G5

BROWSE AUCTION CATALOGUE

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A Look At Cowley Abbott Valuation Days

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Cowley Abbott kicked off our first valuation days of the 2025 season in Toronto on February 12th and another on March 19th. It was at these valuation days that specialists consigned a W.J. Phillips and provided a valuation for a Joyce Weiland artwork.

From February 20th – 27th, President Rob Cowley and Senior Art Specialist Anna Holmes travelled the east coast beginning in Charlottetown, P.E.I., making stops in Halifax, Nova Scotia and ending in Fredericton, New Brunswick. During this trip our team spoke with the press, including CBC radio and tv in Charlottetown, Global and CBC in Halifax (view here), and CBC radio in Fredericton; and of course, valued incredible works of art. Rob also had the opportunity to speak to students at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia about the auction world and an important private collection.

A range of regional artists were viewed at our east coast valuation days, such as A.Y. Jackson, Mary Pratt, Frederick Arthur Verner, A.J. Casson, Maud Lewis, Molly Lamb Bobak. International artist highlights included a work by Pablo Picasso. We were also entrusted with some incredible consignments, including a canvas by Yves Gaucher and a canvas by Fern Coppedge which will both be offered in our upcoming live auction.

Also while on the East Coast Rob had the opportunity to speak with students from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia about the auction market and an important private collection.

On April 3rd, our valuation day was hosted by The Agnes Etherington Art Centre in Kingston, Ontario, where Rob Cowley gave a talk on “Artwork Tales”. This talk focused on exciting highlights sold at Cowley Abbott such as Ukrainian Proverb by William Kurelek, Algoma (Algoma Sketch 48) by Lawren Harris and DHead XLVI by David Bowie. 

Rob also discussed the amazing results from the Private Collection auctions in 2023/2024 and highlighted the Joyce Putnam Bequest of paintings that the Agnes Etherington Art Centre has in their collection, which consisted primarily of Group of Seven works. It was a valuation day to remember and a huge thank you to all who joined the talk!

Our April 6th Valuation day saw Canadian Art Specialist Eryn Brobyn and Senior Canadian & International Art Specialist Perry Tung travel to the Art Gallery of Hamilton where they were delighted to value works by Andy Warhol, Alexandra Luke, and Tom Hodgson.

Our firm looks forward to the valuation days of this upcoming season, including a visit to Niagara on the Lake at The Riverbrink Museum on April 25. We thank everyone for their participation in our valuation days. 

For more information on valuation days and upcoming events visit cowleyabbott.ca and follow us on social media!

Rob Cowley Sits Down with BNN Bloomberg’s Paul Bagnell

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Rob Cowley visited the BNN Bloomberg studio to chat with Paul Bagnell about the art market and Cowley Abbott’s recent cross country travel.

Rob speaks with BNN Bloomberg’s Paul Bagnell regarding Cowley Abbott’s ongoing national travels as they collect consignments for their upcoming spring live auction. The discussion then focuses upon a selection of artwork for auction and private sale currently in Cowley Abbott’s care for sale.

Remembering Robert Noakes with Senior International Art Specialist Perry Tung

Posted by & filed under Cowley Abbott Updates.

I was sad to hear of Robert Noakes’ passing last year, but while preparing his art collection to be offered for sale, vivid memories of Robert buzzing around the auction rooms during previews and phone bidding with him came back to me.

I first met Robert early in my career when I was working for a local Toronto auction house. During previews, he would stride into the galleries, making straight for the works he was interested in. Inevitably, these would be decorative arts, furniture and fine art. His residence, luxuriously decorated with artworks and sculptures in every room, was a testament to his expert eye as a collector.

Works by Graham Coughtry, Henri Matisse and Guido Molinari displayed at the Noakes residence

During the auction week, I would often be assigned to phone bid with Robert. Phone bidding with him was always exciting. I would call him three lots ahead, we would quickly catch up, and then it would come time to bid on the lot he wanted, and he would get very serious. Once the auctioneer had opened the lot, he would quickly jump in, usually telling me to keep the paddle up until he won the lot. Or he would wait until the auctioneer would hammer down a lot and tell me to bid, eventually winning the lot. His quick thinking and passion for collecting art made him a memorable figure in the Canadian auction world, unlike anyone else.

Cowley Abbott is delighted to present four online auctions showcasing the breadth and depth of his collection. There are exceptional works in each auction, with the following highlights in our February sales:

Lot 20. Françoise Sullivan, Rouges. Oil on canvas. 30 x 40 in (76.2 x 101.6 cm). Estimate: $7,000-9,000

Lot 35. Robert Motherwell, Three Forms II (B. 416). Etching with carborundum on grey HMP paper. 17.5 x 22.5 in (44.5 x 57.2 cm). Estimate: $3,000-4,000

Lot 2. Guido Molinari, Noir & Blanc. Ink on paper. 20.5 x 26 in (52.1 x 66 cm). Estimate: $10,000-15,000