AUCTIONS: Fall 2015 Rare offerings of great art fetch record prices at fall sales

by

Did someone say recession in terms of Alberta, Western Canada, or even the country as a whole? Well, my perception is that art has not suffered at the auction level. Why, you might ask? It comes down to this: When you get good rare offerings, collectors still pay attention. 

At Levis Fine Art Auctions in Calgary, Doug Levis had some important estate items, a key component in presenting fresh-to-market works. Maxwell Bates was one of the best finds, and it was perfect that the piece came from a prominent Calgary collection.

Interior with Figures is no doubt one of Bates’ most exhibited and documented paintings. Honestly sold at $35,100, it was quite a reasonable buy. A number of other prominent names – Emily Carr, A.Y. Jackson, A.J. Casson and others – followed.

But my next standout favourite was William Kurelek’s The Barn Dance, 1974. Although painted later in his career, which by that time had gained a lot of ground, it originally sold here in Alberta for about $3,000. Its new price of $198,900 tells us there is some health in the Canadian art market. Levis had one of its best sales ever, realizing over $1 million with a standing-room-only crowd.

Also from Calgary, reporting a sale that went well over $1 million for two nights, was, of course, Hodgins Art Auctions. Kevin King had landed prominent estate collections, and Frank Hall managed to sell them well in the room, on the phone and to a busy Internet crowd.

An early standout was a brilliant Illingworth Kerr from the estate of Bob Riley. Prairie Road, March, which sold at $7,020, had every bit of what Kerr is known for: Paint, perception and originality of colour. Other incredible offerings were rare pieces by W.J. Phillips, W.L Stevenson and Janet Mitchell, as well as a great collection of figurative and still life works collected by Dr. Howard Freeze. Two other standout works were Marion Nicoll’s Ritual, 1962, which sold at $35,100, and Cyril Power’s linocut, The Eight, 1930, an impeccable piece from the estate of John Lecky. It sold for $111,150. 

In both sales, the presence of rare-to-market works reminded me of two things. First, if you’re interested in art, attending sales previews is free. And, second, fine works by good artists, with solid provenance are worth your attention.

Then, it was off to Toronto, where the fall auctions were creating buzz and chatter. I hit the ground running, as I usually do, for seven days. The Waddington’s preview was first on my list. 

Their Canadian fine art sale was put together by Linda Rodeck, who had found some fresh and, as usual, interesting art. Picks that caught my eye included John Little’s Rue Fabrique, Quebec, which depicted a busy street scene in Quebec City in the early ’50s, and was full of life and action. Art that captures history long past, even if seen only for a moment, is a constant plus when going to auctions. Gems by the artist Barker Fairley from the Paul Sweetman collection were wonderful. William Kurelek’s God Provides, 1964, was a steal, selling below estimate. It is a fabulous early work on paper. Someone made a smart buy! Works of note by Rita Mount, A.J Casson and David Milne all sold well.

My pick was a small Casson, Lake of Two Rivers. This jewel came from a U.S. collection and sold well at $56,640. Although the sale featured only 135 lots, there were many surprises throughout the evening.

An incredible piece of Canadian art history by F.A. Verner, Ojibway Camp, 1874, was found in the U.S. It turned out to be the painting developed from a prominent sketch in the National Gallery of Canada collection. It was painted at Lake of the Woods, Ont. It was great to see it before it disappears again into a collection. My point being that auction previews are worth your attention.

Which leads me to the news most have likely read by now – how the Heffel auction blew the roof off the fall sales and, in general, knocked out any pessimism about market potential. Once again, rarely seen works consigned from outside Canada made the grade. At the post-war and contemporary art preview, which made for a beautiful gallery, works that stood out included Roy Lichtenstein’s Modern Room. It represented a new plan by the Heffel team to include some great international pieces amongst the Canadian art. In my view, it worked and things sold well. Barbara Hepworth, the wonderful British sculptor, was part of that plan, and also made the grade.

But, an incredible piece, Couple, 1964, by Sorel Etrog, one of Canada’s best artists, should have sold well beyond $59,000. Walls were hung with prominent works by Jean-Paul Riopelle, Paul-Emile Borduas, Guido Molinari and the realist painters Christopher Pratt and Alex Colville, along with some fine abstract paintings.

Colville’s Harbour, 1975, returned to Canada from a German collection. It sold for over $1.6 million. It’s incredible what some Canadian art collected outside the country can realize. 

Then it was on to Heffel’s fine Canadian art sale, where, of course, Lawren Harris’ works featured prominently. My favourite was the catalogue cover lot, Winter Landscape, 1916-1917.  In answer to some critics from elsewhere, sputtering about Harris and these prominent paintings and the values achieved, the fact is, yes, the paintings are possibly romantic and “after Impressionism.” But, in my view, and to many other Canadian eyes, they are one of a kind, and unique to Canada, as was Lawren Harris.

The sale also featured some quiet gems by David Milne. Snowy Hemlocks, 1921, and Bronx Pattern, 1914, were exciting. Milne will be featured prominently soon in Britain at the Dulwich Gallery, which once again is showing Canadian art to the world. Other standouts by W.J. Phillips, Bess Harris, A.Y. Jackson, James Duncan and J.W. Morrice set some new records for Canadian art and artists. The cumulative total was more than $23 million for the night.

This end to the season’s sales on a high note is quite something, considering current economic factors. To have “apparent art critics” weigh in with negative notes in the Globe and Mail is not worthy of comment. See the bright side of Canadian art, because we have some brilliant art and artists, both historical and contemporary, and they can succeed internationally if presented with confidence.

Douglas Maclean of Canadian Art Gallery is an art adviser and private dealer in Canmore, AB.