Auction Report Fall 2024

The fall auction season has been active, with many sales taking place online and in some cases, live, especially in London and New York. Some stellar sales rolling out of those two major cities. (I will not speak further of a banana and duct tape!) 

In Canada we have three live sales: Heffel’s digital sale in Toronto, which is held at the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, with active phone and online sales, and Cowley Abbott’s Auction, which is held at the Globe and Mail Centre in Toronto. The last is First Arts, Inuit and First Nations Art, at A. H. Wilkens, Toronto.

The record this year? Lawren Harris, North Shore, Lake Superior. Estimated to sell for $1 million to $2 million, it sold for $4,392,750  in an online sale at Waddington's — the highest bid of all the fall auctions.

The Canadian sales overall have and will present excellent consignments from private collections, estates, corporate collections and some de-accessions from museum gallery collections. The great Canadian and international art is worthy of our attention. 

Levis Fine Art Auctions: Calgary

The sale, which took place Nov. 3, had more than 360 lots, which included some consignment sales to benefit the University of Calgary and CKUA radio.

#9 David Blackwood, Wreck of the Nickerson, 1993, est. $10,000 to $15,000. Sold: $17,289. This vintage etching is one of his best. His interpretations of the Newfoundland stories are highly valued.

#74 Yvonne M. Housser, The Belle of the Reservation, est. $3,000 to $5,000. Sold: $12,204. A sensitive portrait painting, this certainly caught my eye, Housser’s work was part of the brilliant Unidentified exhibition from the McMichael Canadian Art Collection that opened the door for Canadian women artists.

#76 A.Y. Jackson, Eskimo Houses, Pond Inlet, 1927, est. $8,000 to $10,000. Sold: $11,187. This tiny sketch was loaded with details made by his steady hand.

#93 Dorothy Knowles, Bow Valley Series #4, 1991, est. $2,000 to $3,000. Sold: $6,120. A small plein aire gem, although moody clouds dominated the day. Knowles captured the subject perfectly. I was pleased to see it sell at a strong value.

#98 Luke Lindoe, The Little Field, 1944, est. $2,000 to $4,000. Sold: $6,120. A brilliant work by Lindoe. The quality of this small painting captured a whole life of farming, weather and hard work in the west.

Of note in the sale were consignments from the now closed Ace Gallery, Vancouver, and Los Angeles. International artworks of high quality were sold.

#237, 238, 239, Robert Rauschenberg, Ape (Stoned Moon), 1970, Vale, 1974, and Passport / Ten from Leo Castelli, 1962. Estimates from $3,000 to $8,000, they sold at very reasonable values, $4,000 to $5,000 and were likely good buys for any American art dealer. The artist will be celebrated with a 100-year anniversary of his career, an exhibition that has been prepared and sanctioned by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and will be shown in many major institutions across the U.S.A.

#247 Danny Singer, Empress, Alberta, 2013, est. $3,000 to $4,000. Sold: $7,605. Singer’s stunning photographic documents of disappearing places are beautifully created and certainly worthy of note.

#258 Andy Warhol, Lincoln Centre Tickets, (3), 1967, est. $20,000 to $30,000. Sold: $38,025. Certainly this was a rare print to see. Made early in his career, it obviously caught the attention of a seasoned collector. I will be watching for future consignments at Levis. 

Levis did well with the sale of Bob Chelmick photos, which were deals. The 44 images benefitted CKUA radio and all commissions were waived, a generous gesture by Levis.

BYDealers: Montreal

I enjoyed the preview in Toronto during Art Toronto in late October. “It is great to see so much Quebec art in Toronto,” a friend said, and indeed the sale of historical and contemporary art, which took place Nov. 18, was worth taking in.

#09, Jean Paul Lemieux, Sans Titre, c. 1975, est. $15,000 to $20,000. Sold: $28,800. This four-inch by five-inch study certainly revealed all of what a Lemieux can evoke: mystery and illusive figures, amazing for such a tiny sketch.

#13 Louis Archambault, Sans Titre/Untitled (Nu), c.1950, est. $20,000 to $30,000. Sold: $36,000. This evocative bronze with gold patina, was classical and abstract in form.

#18 Fernand Leduc, L’aigle sous cap, 1950, est. $25,000 to $35,000. Sold: $63,000. An absolute stunner and such a small size, it came originally from the collection of Jean Paul Riopelle.

#33 Claude Tousignant, Varèse: Accélérateur chromatique 66-68, 1968, est. $450,000 to $650,000. Sold: $660,000. This 66-inch diameter painting was a perfect example of the artist’s intense study of colour and energy.

Although some passes were noted, the sale did well overall. ByDealers certainly presents some great art with strong respect.

A.H. Wilkens: Toronto

The Personal Collection of Robert Noakes, interior designer was auctioned on Nov. 19 in Toronto. In business for 50 years, he was one of Toronto’s best known interior designers, a brilliant purveyor of design, objects, and of course, fine art. (Some of his collection was sold at Cowley Abbott, too, on Nov. 27.) This collection offered mostly objects, but also these noted artworks.

#1114, Olga De Amaral, Vestigo 50, 1997, est. $15,000 to $25,000. Sold: $104,040. This small gold-leaf panel abstraction obviously found a knowledgeable collector.

#1193 Yvonne M. Housser, Stumps, no date, est.$10,000 to $15,000. Sold: $14,688.

#1202 Philip Surrey, Rainy Dusk, no date, est. $20,000 to $30,000. Sold: $36,720.

#1203 Charles Comfort, Evening Sky Georgian Bay, Est. $3,000 to $5,000. Sold: $9180.

These artworks were excellent examples from each artist. Noakes’ in-depth knowledge of art and his astute eye preside throughout. 

Heffel Fine Art Auction House: Toronto

The sale of post-war and contemporary art took place Nov. 20 in Toronto and included some fine and interesting collectors and collections, featuring works from the Barbeau Owen Foundation, the estate of Dr. Luigi Rossi and a prominent private collection from Montreal and others.

Jacques Barbeau and his wife Margaret Owen Barbeau collected many artworks by E.J. Hughes, seven of which began the sale.

#1 E.J. Hughes, Fishboats at Rivers Inlet, 2001, est. $40,000 to $60,000. Sold: $205,250. 

#2 E.J. Hughes, Tugboats at Ladysmith Harbour, 2004, est. $35,000 to $45,000. Sold: $253,250. Both late period watercolours, full of Hughes’ bold colour and detail, kicked off what would prove to be a long but productive evening.

#8 Kenojuak Ashevak, The Enchanted Owl, 1960, est.$125,000 to $175,000. Sold: $289,250. A record sale of the best-known print by the artist.

#14 Marcelle Ferron, Candelle, 1959, est. $125,000 to $175,000. Sold: $841,250. One of her best, with strong powerful strokes of colour “floating” on the pure white ground.

#21 Alex Janvier, Canuck Gift Horse,1981, est. $50,000 to $70,000. Sold: $169,250. With a provenance of Gallery Moos, Toronto, directly to Dr. Luigi Rossi. Gallery Moos was Janvier’s first gallery in the east and exhibited him with respect.

# 25 Jack Shadbolt, Between No.5, 1992, est. $40,000 to $60,000. Sold: $115,250. I am happy to see this triptych painting do so well. Shadbolt’s work can be undervalued at auction, but I consider him as a leader in Canadian art history, Vancouver in particular.

#43 James (Jim) Hart, The Dance Screen, (The Scream Too), est. $1.4 million to $1.8 million. Sold: $1,561,250. First introduced as a five-kilogram silver coin in 2013 and 2015, this 10-kilogram pure Canadian gold coin obviously attracted attention, not only for the value of the gold (approx. $1.2 million) but also for the exquisite carving by the artist.

Heffel Fine Art Auction House: Toronto, Canadian Impressionist & Modern Art

#106 Frank (Franz) Johnston, Pine Point, Lake of the Woods, 1922, est. $100,000 to $150,000. Sold: $193,250. A fine early painting, representing a place he knew and loved. 

#110 Emily Carr, Masset, Q.C.I. 1912, est. $100,000 to $200,000. Sold: $349,250. A story most have already heard, this powerful small painting was found at a sale in New York state, by a dealer who took a chance and purchased it for $50. Turns out Carr had given it to her close friend Nell Cozier.

#113 Bess Larkin Housser Harris, Near Moraine Lake, c.1928, est. $50,000 to $70,000. Sold: $133,250. This large rhythmic work certainly warranted the attention. It was exhibited in 1931 at the Art Gallery of Toronto, Group of Seven exhibition.

#118 Frederick H. Varley, Bridge Over Lynn, 1935-1936, est. $800,000 to $1.2 m. Sold: $1,321,250. It was excellent to see this energetic, bold work do so well. It captured the bid of a knowledgeable collector.

Heffel Fine Art Auction House: Toronto, Legendary, The Collection of Torben V. Kristiansen

# 208 Tom Thomson, Tamarack Swamp, 1915, est. $1.2 million to $1.6 million. Sold: $2,101,250. The first of two Thomson sketches, this expressive, energetic sketch had a strong abstract quality. I am quite positive Kristiansen would have liked this result.

#210 Tom Thomson, Winter Morning, 1915, est. $1 million to $1.5 million. Sold: $2,281,250. Both sketches illustrate why Thomson’s imagination, brushwork, and colour place him as such an important artist within Canada’s history. 

#217 Franklin Carmichael, Frood Lake, 1929, est. $50,000 to $70,000. Sold: $125,000. It was good to see a higher value for this watercolour. It was an astute buy.

The sale initiated some strong bidding, but I did note three distinct lots passed late in the sale — three works by #219 Morrice, #220 Borduas and #221 Andrew Wyeth — a surprise after such an action-packed evening. Overall though, the sale totaled more than $22 million and certainly indicates that collectors are interested and offering strong support. 

Cowley Abbott: Toronto, Important Canadian and International Art

The sale took place Nov. 27 and included private collections including the estate collection of Robert Noakes and consignments from the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq.

#5 Frederick Varley, Winter Afternoon, Doon, est. $15,000 to $20,000. Sold: $14,400. The story is wonderful; the owner was a teenager who delivered firewood to Varley. His parents convinced him to buy it.

#6 William Kurelek, A Little Girl and her Snowman, 1973 est. $12,000 to $15,000. Sold: $216,000. Although a cute small picture, Kurelek’s love of children and his humour are clearly illustrated. The phone bids and floor bids created a fury.

#11 James W. Morrice, Venice Night, 1906, est. $400,000 to $600,000. Sold: $792,000. Absolutely stunning in real life, it did well, a rare beauty. The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is working on an exhibition focused on Morrice’s Venice artworks.

#26 James Duncan, Bonsecours Market, St. Paul Street, c.1848-1852, est. $8,000 to $12,000. Sold: $66,000. This Irish-born artist was one of Canada’s early watercolourists. This rare, detailed work tells a story of Montreal 172 years ago.

#28, Tom Thomson, Giant’s Tomb, Georgian Bay, Summer, 1914, est. $500,000 to $700,000. Sold: $888,000. Another brilliant sketch, full of energy and life.

#31 Peter C. Sheppard, Old House, Winter, (the Ward, Toronto) c.1920-1921, est. $12,000 to $15,000. Sold: $40,800. A story of Toronto’s past, told in one small sketch. 

#48 Ivan Eyre, Canal Square, 1992, est. $60,000 to $80,000. Sold: $264,000. From the collection of Winnipeg Art Gallery, this was one of four early Eyre paintings. It was magical in subject and colour, and it shows his imaginative mind.

#86 Michael Snow, OH, 1957, est. $20,000 to $30,000. Sold: $72,000. Collected by Robert Noakes, this rare early painting by Snow, done in New York City, was certainly worth seeing live.

#99 Li Chen, All in One, 1994, est. $60,000 to $80,000. Sold: $96,000. This quiet and peaceful 58-inch high bronze certainly had a beautiful presence. 

#108 Frank Stella, Spectralia (Axsom and Kolb 226), 1994, est. $7,000 to $9,000. Sold: $16,800. A stunning example of fine print making with all the complexity that he pursued throughout his career. Stella died in May 2024.

#123 E.J. Hughes, Steamer in Grenville Channel, 1952, est. $25,000 to $35,000. Sold: $156,000. Sold originally by Hughes’ first dealer Max Stern, this fine early drawing captured the attention of collectors. 

The Hughes was the final lot of a very strong sale.

I was surprised by some significant passed lots, especially my favourite Jack Bush of the fall sales, #21 Arc. Also noted was a brilliant energetic Riopelle from 1964, with a fine provenance. It missed the bids. Collectors of his work need to understand it was a powerful period for him. Cowley Abbott had a fine and productive evening.

Waddington’s: Toronto 

I have reviewed the three online sales from November. It was a busy closing for the online auctions, with some great results.

Waddington’s: Toronto, Inuit Art online

#42 Kenojuak Ashevak, Birds from the Sea, 1960, est. $9,000 to $12,000. Sold: $30,000. One of two beautiful early sealskin stencil prints. 

#43 Kenojuak Ashevak, Dogs see the Spirits, 1960, est. $9,000 to $12,000. Sold: $30,000.

#25 Osuitok Ipeelee, Striding Cariboo, 1988, est. $10,000 to $15,000. Sold: $13,750. A stunning carving, full of life.

Waddington's: Toronto, First Nations Art online

#51 Kent Monkman, PostModern, 2013, est. $40,000 to $60,000. Sold: $59,310. My favourite of Monkman’s small paintings. Three showed up in the fall auctions — interesting because they were all earlier smaller paintings.

#153 Daphne Odjig, The Legend of Nanabush, 1968, est. $20,000 to $30,000. Sold: $18,750. A very early painting by Odjig on brown kraft paper, similar to early Morrisseau works. It is a great pictorial story that is rare to see. The collector made a great decision.

#157 Norval Morrisseau, The Protector, 1979, est. $20,000 to $30,000. Sold: $73,950. This powerful painting had a perfect provenance from Pollock Gallery.

#158 Alex Janvier, Post Clear Cutting, 2007, est. $8,000 to $10,000. Sold: $9,375. At the time this was painted, Janvier was working with a very free hand and brush. He made some beautiful paintings, more textural with thick paint. This is a small gem from that time.

#180 Corey Bullpitt, Daughter of Mouse Woman, 2019, est. $2,000 to $3,000. Sold: $4,750. Bullpitt is a contemporary artist showing with Fazakas Gallery Vancouver. The mask is a stunning compilation of materials and imagination.

Waddington's: Toronto, Canadian and International Art

#215, J.W. Morrice, Nude c.1896, est. $40,000 to $60,000. Sold: $61,750. This painting had such a subtle quiet beauty, with an abstract quality, rare for that period.

#216 Lawren Harris, North Shore, Lake Superior, c. 1927, est. $1 million to $2 million. Sold: $4,392,750. “This is prime Harris,” Liz Edwards, director of Waddington's Canadian Fine Art, told the National Post in November. And she was right. It sold for a prime price of $4,392,750 — the highest bid of all the fall auctions and an incredible find for Waddington’s Canadian art staff.

One Dr. William Gallie operated on Harris's son and refused to send a bill so Harris offered to make him a painting. It hung in Gallie's office until his death. Gallie went on to become an expert on retinoblastoma, cancer of the eye; some of the proceeds from the sale of the painting will go to the International Retinoblastoma Consortium. 

#217 Lawren Harris, Autumn, Design for a Panel, c. 1936, est. $30,000 to $50,000. Sold: $80,050. With lots of light and colour, this small sketch was full of imagination.

#227 David Hockney, Ian Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire, January, 1983, est. $20,000 to $30,000. Sold: $30,720. Not often do we see one of Hockney’s collages for sale. It was bought from Jane Corkin Gallery, Toronto.

#233 Robert Bateman, Winter Run, Bull Moose, 1994, est. $60,000 to $80,000. Sold: $86,150. This was a well-deserved bid for this painting. It’s time people appreciate his original artworks, which are full of life and detail. 

Overall, the night proved to be successful. There were some notable passes of fine artworks, but the Harris put the wind in the sail for Waddington's.

Hodgins Art Auction: Calgary

The auction took place Dec. 2 and as usual, there was a mixed group of  consignments, with a few stellar artworks.

#17, Illingworth Kerr, Happy Morning, Qu’Appelle Valley,1972, est. $4,000 to $6,000. Sold: $3,900. It was a happy evening for the collector who bought this fine painting. Q’u Appelle was one of his most treasured places; his brush and colour interpreted the hills and foreground with detail. In my opinion, it is easily worth $8,000/$12,000.

#48 Patrick Cox, #1 Hard Red Spring, Stuart Douglas Cox, Near Gem, A.B., 2010, est. $4,000 to $6,000. Sold: $14,200. Cox paints with egg tempera, a challenging medium. This portrait captures his father examining seed and shows his passion for getting everything right. It was great to see it was appreciated.

#8 H.G. Glyde, Old Barn, Salmon Arm B.C., est. $4,000 to $6,000, Sold: $12,000. Glyde captured the perspective and subject perfectly. This fine painting sold exactly where it should. He was a wonderful artist.

#109 Christopher Pratt, White Winter Road, (West of Georges Lake), 2004, est. $15,000 to $20,000. Sold: $72,000. The star sale of the evening, this stunning watercolour deserved and found very active bidders.

#112 Alan Collier, Primordial Land (south shore of Devon Island, NWT, over Lancaster Sound, est. $20,000 to $30,000. Sold: $36,000. A major painting for Collier, it was previously owned by Dow Chemical of Canada and was sold in 2005 by Hodgins. It did well the second time around. Collier’s first adventures north took place in 1972 and continued until 1985. 

The evening online sale did very well overall with fine results. I did note a large Dorothy Knowles passed without a bid at $10,000. It was a fine painting, an opportunity was missed. The online technology works very well which is appreciated. Bidders need to pay close attention as lots close.

First Arts: Toronto, Inuit and First Nations Art

The final auction of the season took place Dec. 2 live at A.H. Wilkens in Toronto. It went very well, with lots of lively phone bids, online bids and bids from the audience.

#5 Annie Pootoogook, Portrait of my Grandmother, 2004, est.$12,000 to $118,000. Sold: $31,720. Pootoogook died in 2016. This wonderful simple portrait illustrates some of her personal life, which she told throughout her drawings.

#10 Osuitok Ipeelee, Caribou, c.1997, est. $15,000 to $25,000. Sold: $41,480. One of two bronze works by the artist, cast in Vancouver, it certainly captures his elegant carving ability.

#11 Kenojuak Ashevak, The Enchanted Owl, 1960, est. $200,000 to $300,000. Sold: $366,000. Two records were broken with this sale: first, the price, and secondly, the most valuable print. This rare artist’s proof of the stonecut print obviously captured active bidding.

#28 Oviloo Tunnillie, Ikayukta Tunnillie Carrying her Drawings to the Co-op, 1997, est. $12,000 to $18,000. Sold: $41,480. Another record broken and no surprise — this stone carving was perfect and tells such a wonderful story.

#29 Tim Pitsoleak, Ivory Polar Bear 2012, est. $12,000 to $18,000. Sold: $43,920.  A well-deserved record price for this large beautiful drawing, full of details as only he could imagine. Pitsoleak died in 2016, but his legacy lives on.

#84 John Kavik, Figure with Upraised Arms, 1972, est. $10,000 to $15,000. Sold: $24,000. Kavik was a standout carver. His creative hands captured humour and joy in this piece.

#105 Charles Peter (Chuck) Heit, Totem, 1983, est. $15,000 to $25,000. Sold: $31,720. The totem stands 85” tall, with excellent carving and colour. It is certainly a prominent artwork and was a record price for the artist’s work.

This brings us to a close of the 2024 fall auction sales in Canada. There were many active and memorable moments. I encourage further investigation of the artworks by visiting the auction websites for each sale. I certainly appreciate Canadian art and all the effort it takes to present and sell it. ■

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