Emily Carr, "South Bay, Skidegate," circa 1928, watercolour on paper, 22" x 29" (sold at Heffel for $811,250)
The final sales of the fall auction season concluded an odd year of adaptation to pandemic realities. As a result, so-called live sales were not actually live. Online presentations were the rule, with a few live previews, and revamps of online technology were the order of the day.
Across the board, I was impressed with the response of auction companies, which provided amped-up services, including information on the works, and additional details if asked, along with professional images.
But most of all, I applaud the incredible interest – and actual buying – by collectors across Canada and beyond. The results were impressive.
Levis Fine Art, Calgary
I previewed this Nov. 1 auction by appointment. It was a strong sale with some historical gems, especially those related to the estate of J.D. Turner, the founder, in 1945, and, for 20 years, the owner of Canadian Art Galleries, the first commercial art space in Calgary.
The small 1947 painting, Canadian Art Galleries, by Winston Elliott, underlined Turner’s interest in Canadian art. It has humour and character, while documenting Calgary’s early art scene. It sold for $4,973.
Wesley Irwin, "Sunday at the Canmore Mines," circa 1948, oil on paper board, 13" x 17" (sold at Levis for $1,989)
One other fine painting from the collection was by Wesley Irwin. His on-site painting, Sunday at the Canmore Mines, circa 1948, depicts a historical setting. It sold at $1,989. Irwin was one our best artists and should be better known.
Illingworth Kerr, "Western Winter Night," 1980, oil on canvas, 36" x 50" (sold at Levis for $52,650)
Illingworth Kerr was honestly brilliant with one of his best nocturne paintings, Western Winter Night, 1980. It not only has his trademark nocturnal colours but displayed a poetic subject and a narrative knowledge of the West. Levis set a record for Kerr, at $52,650.
A fanciful and very good Maude Lewis, Two Skiers, sold for $24,750.
With a total of 8,900 bids from 580 online bidders, the sale was active with strong prices for fine pieces.
Hodgins Art Auctions, Calgary
Again, with an appointment, a live preview was appreciated. Standing in front of art and discussing it is what’s missing in these times. Hodgins did not produce a catalogue but provided excellent consultation and assistance. Its cross-section of historical and contemporary made for a worthwhile visit.
Henry Glyde, "Midnapore, Old Church," 1944, oil on board, 10" x 14" (sold at Hodgins for $3,750)
Henry Glyde’s Midnapore, Old Church, 1944, a small on-site panel is one of a kind. Having arrived from England not long before, Glyde went on to capture many changes in the West. It sold for a conservative price of $3,750.
Ted Godwin, "Kananaskis Beaver Dam," 1979, oil on canvas, 33" x 47" (sold at Hodgins for $14,000)
Hodgins had three examples of Ted Godwin's work, each displaying a strong painting hand and great colour. Kananaskis Beaver Dam, 1979, sold for $14,000. Collectors are coming to the table, as Godwin would say, and it’s a table worth joining.
Frederick Verner, "Buffalo...Rocky Mountains," circa 1906, oil on canvas, 19" x 35" (sold at Hodgins for $27,500)
Frederick Verner’s Buffalo...Rocky Mountains, circa 1906, was a rare large canvas. Although Verner often made up his subjects, this painting has a strong Southern Alberta context with a large landscape and subtle light. To see an absolute vintage work in fine condition was impressive. It sold for $27,500. Two decades ago, it likely would have found $60,000. Businessman Ken Thomson, of course, collected Verner, and eventually donated his entire collection to the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Chris Cran, "Wall with Portrait and Curtain," 2006, oil and acrylic on canvas, 48" x 48" (sold at Hodgins for $7,000)
The sale did well overall with good buys in the contemporary area. A brilliant abstract painting on paper by Douglas Haynes, WP 95-07-01, 1995, sold for $1,600. And a fine painting by Chris Cran, Wall with Portrait and Curtain, 2006, sold for $7,000.
Collectors should pay attention. Contemporary corporate collections are coming to auction and, for the most part, they are well chosen. It’s changes in corporate structure and strategy that brings such collections to the market, not the need for money, so it’s a good time to be curious and keep one’s eyes open.
Heffel, Vancouver
As usual, Heffel pulled out all the stops for what was dubbed a live sale in Vancouver on Dec. 2. The presentation was quite something, with fine lighting, excellent sound and some of the most relaxed auctioneering I have seen by David and Robert Heffel.
B.C. Binning, "Night Ships," 1950, oil on board, 12" x 15" (sold at Heffel for $46,250)
The Post War and Contemporary section included B.C. Binning’s 1950 painting, Night Ships, which sold over the high estimate at $46,250. Binning’s work always intrigues me. This small panel, filled with his trademark imagery, was perfect.
Alexander Colville, "Woman with Revolver," 1987, acrylic polymer emulsion on board 24" x 12" (sold at Heffel for $841,250)
Alex Colville’s Woman with Revolver, 1987, was on my list to watch. I know this painting well from a private viewing, and it’s incredibly intriguing, as Colville can be. It was presented with its own catalogue and the provenance of the late Toronto gallerist Mira Godard’s personal collection made it all the more perfect. She was Colville’s best supporter for many years and the Mira Godard Gallery continues to represent works from his estate to this day. When the hammer came down at $841,250, my first thought was “smart buy” and well done. Honestly, I thought the price would go higher, but the subject matter is possibly considered dark. I consider it mysterious, the best quality in Colville’s work.
Jean Paul Riopelle dominated the catalogue, but there were a couple of standouts. His Sans titre, 1953, sold for $1.4 million, with the provenance of the Marlborough Godard, later the Mira Godard Gallery. La line d'eau, 1977, was stunning in size and imagery. This huge canvas with ice and snow impressions sold for almost $1.3 million.
A lot by Jock Macdonald caught my eye as he was so influential in the West and a prime member of Painters Eleven. A rare 1956 abstraction, Pulsing Sound, originally sold by the Roberts Gallery in Toronto, went for $31,250, a smart buy.
Heffel’s Canadian Impressionist and Modern Art sale included some fine examples from Canadian art history, including the Group of Seven, Emily Carr and Cornelius Krieghoff.
Frederick Varley, "Green and Gold, Portrait of Vera," circa 1933-34, oil on canvas, 24" x 20" (unsold at Heffel)
Standouts included Frederick Varley’s Green and Gold, Portrait of Vera, 1933-34. Although powerful and austere, this incredible portrait failed to sell. It’s a brilliant painting and deserves to be in a museum collection.
James Wilson Morrice, "La plage," circa 1898-99, oil on canvas, 29" x 36" (sold at Heffel for $1,141,250)
J.W. Morrice’s La plage, 1898-99, a monumental painting consigned from Belgium, sold for more than $1.1 million. The painting’s historical and exhibition documents were fascinating.
David Milne, "Gray Hill," circa 1915-16, oil on canvas, 18" x 22" (sold at Heffel for $229,250)
David Milne’s Gray Hill, 1915-16, sold for double the estimate at $229,250. This was an excellent result for a strong and inventive canvas that was ahead of its time. Milne consistently deserves attention – he was one of a kind.
Also of note was Emily Carr’s South Bay, Skidegate, circa 1928, which sold for $811,250. Obviously, her beautiful touch with watercolour captured the attention of collectors yet again.
Overall, Heffel, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, was able to capture attention and achieve some fine results, even in these adverse times.
Cowley Abbott, Toronto
Cowley Abbott presented what was called an online live presentation on Dec. 3 from the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto. Sadly, live previews were shut down before the sale as new provincial public health restrictions took effect. The room was set up well for online and telephone bidding and auctioneer Robert Cowley’s exacting calls were answered throughout.
Tom Hodgson, "Non Objective (Bluish)," circa 1953-54, oil on board, 42" x 23" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $60,000)
The first notable success was for Tom Hodgson’s Non Objective (Bluish), circa 1953-54. This prime Painters Eleven work deserved the attention of collectors. It set a record for the artist’s work at $60,000.
Bertram Brooker, "Still Life with Apples and Glass," circa 1930s, oil on board, 12" x 15" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $20,400)
Bertram Brooker’s Still Life with Apples and Glass, circa 1930s, is a perfect example of his experimentation with design and abstraction. He was brilliant. The small panel sold for $20,400.
Jack Bush, "Column on Browns," 1965, oil on canvas, 80" x 64" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $870,000)
Column on Browns, a large and powerful piece by Jack Bush came with an incredible historical provenance, and obviously impressed collectors. Active bidding broke his sales record at auction when the hammer came down at $870,000.
Alex Janvier, "Shoreline Existence," 1973, acrylic on canvas, 24" x 30" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $31,200)
Alex Janvier’s Shoreline Existence, 1973, signed with his treaty number, 287, sold for $31,200, confirming again the strong interest in the highly individualistic artist from Cold Lake, Alta.
There were some bumps in the road with great works that failed to get the attention of collectors. Possibly it was indicative of auction fatigue, or perhaps a lack of knowledge.
Cornelius Krieghoff, "Indian Trappers, Lake St. Charles," 1854, oil on canvas, 12" x 18" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $31,500)
One that stood out was Cornelius Krieghoff’s Indian Trappers, Lake St. Charles, 1854. Sold originally by the Watson Gallery in Montreal, it had all the attributes of Krieghoff’s best work, yet failed to attract the reserve. It subsequently sold at $31,500.
Jock Macdonald, "New Fruit," 1946, watercolour, 7" x 10" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $7,800)
Success was found again with three works by Jock Macdonald. These tiny automatic watercolours found active bidding and sold well over the estimate. Two of the pieces, Prehistoric World, 1945, and New Fruit, 1946, came from the estate of J.D. Turner, owner of Calgary’s Canadian Art Galleries. Turner was a prime supporter of Macdonald and, considering the abstraction of the watercolours, his vision was ahead of the time in Calgary. They sold for $10,200 and $7,800, respectively.
Dorothy Knowles, "Bright Weeds," 1986, acrylic on canvas, 60" x 48" (sold at Cowley Abbott for $26,400)
I was also impressed to see a work by Dorothy Knowles, Bright Weeds, 1986, sell above estimate for $26,400. Knowles is consistently one of the best living landscape artists in the West and deserves attention. She has produced work for decades from her Saskatchewan studio with her own inventive interpretation.
The sale did well overall and produced some excellent results.
Waddington’s Canadian Fine Art, Toronto
The last event of the season was conducted from Waddington’s sales room via an online auction that ran from Dec. 5 to Dec. 10. There were some preview appointments, but, of course, numbers were limited. There were paintings I would have liked to see firsthand.
George Pepper, "Boathouses on the Ottawa River," 1930, oil on canvas, 28" x 36" (sold at Waddington's for $108,000)
One that caught my eye immediately was George Pepper’s Boathouses on the Ottawa River, 1930. Rare and beautiful, the large painting showed a blanket of deep snow, filled with the rhythms of blue and red details. The estimate of $20,000 to $30,00 was surpassed, with a sale at $108,000 – an amazing value for a fine painting.
Stanley Turner, "Heavy Snow," circa 1920s, oil on canvas, 28" x 32" (sold at Waddington's for $38,400)
Stanley Turner’s Heavy Snow, circa 1920s, sold for $38,400. Turner was British by birth and immigrated initially to Saskatchewan, but only became established as an artist when he moved to Toronto in 1911. His is not a well-known name although he was associated with the Group of Seven. He travelled the country via rail, and his work from the West is rare and very good. A second painting by Turner was Timber Line, an image of a Limber Pine (now an endangered species) in the Crowsnest Pass. It had an estimate of $2,000 to $2,500 and sold for $18,000.
Prudence Heward, "Untitled (Eastern Townships)," circa 1935, oil on panel, 12" x 14" (sold at Waddington's for $30,000)
Waddington’s showed several fine works from Canadian art history. One outstanding painting was Prudence Heward’s Untitled (Eastern Townships), circa 1935. A brilliant small panel by the artist, a member of Montreal’s Beaver Hall Group, it was well ahead of its time and sold for $30,000.
Walter Yarwood, "Landscape," circa 1958, oil on canvas board, 24" x 30" (sold at Waddington's for $36,000)
The sale featured some excellent modern and contemporary works, notably Walter Yarwood’s Landscape, circa 1958. This abstract piece sold for $36,000. It was great to see, as some Painters Eleven work has slipped by in the past.
René Marcil, "Untitled," 1956-58, oil on canvas, 39" x 24" (sold at Waddington's for $9,000)
The sale’s opening work was an untitled modern stunner by René Marcil from 1956-58. I would have loved to see it in person. With a provenance of just one collection, it was a rare find and indicative of how great Canadian art can be. It sold for $9,000.
The sale landed on the right foot for Waddington’s. Once again, its Canadian art department found some special pieces.
Now we are in 2021, with hopes for a more positive year ahead with better access to galleries and previews of live sales. Canadian culture deserves our attention. Watching the auction houses prevail over possible failures and art galleries surviving, if not thriving, makes me appreciative of people who remain interested and continue their support. ■
All prices include the buyer’s premium unless otherwise noted. Images are courtesy of the respective auction houses.
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