Fall 2022 Live Auction by the Numbers
masterworks sold over the million-dollar mark
aucton records shatered
artworks sold from a private collecton exceeded the high-end aucton estmate 99% of ofered artwork from the private collecton successfully sold
Record-Breaking Aucton of Rare Canadian Art Masterpieces
Cowley Abbot’s recent live aucton on December 1st, 2022 marked the frst of three landmark live auctons dedicated to a prestgious private collecton of Canadian art. A selecton of rare and signifcant historical artwork ofered at Toronto’s Globe & Mail Centre in the evening aucton saw a bidding frenzy, smashing eleven artst records with most artworks in the sale exceeding – and ofen doubling, tripling or more – presale estmates. Seven masterworks achieved over the million-dollar mark, including works by Canada’s celebrated artsts Tom Thomson, J.W. Morrice, Emily Carr, Lawren Harris, Paul Kane and Marcelle Ferron. Cowley Abbot’s two-session live aucton event, which also included the Live Aucton of Important Canadian Art in the afernoon, realized incredible results and atained a combined $19.6 million, cementng this frst landmark aucton as the second highest grossing sale of a private art collecton in the country.
It has been a privilege to introduce this remarkable private collecton of Canadian Art to the market. Thank you to all of the collectors, bidders and art lovers who ensured our fall live aucton was a resounding success. As we enter our tenth year, we very much look forward to sharing further excitement with you, including the next installment of artworks from this private collecton of Canadian art, to be ofered in our Spring Live Aucton
8th
Toronto’s Globe and Mail Centre.
on June
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NEWS LETTER
Winter 2023
EMILY CARR The Totem of the Bear and the Moon Price Realized: $3,120,000
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TOM THOMSON (Top) Petawawa Gorges Price Realized: $1,500,000
PAUL KANE Ojibwa Camp in the Spider Islands Price Realized: $1,080,000
A Preeminent Private Art Collecton and Eleven Aucton Records Smashed
The highlight of the live aucton evening was an Emily Carr masterwork, The Totem of the Bear and the Moon, which sold for $3.12 million, coming close to challenging the current artst record of $3.39 million. Sold for the frst tme at aucton, this rare canvas has been included in important exhibitons for more than a century. Carr’s incredible masterpiece rightly earned its place as one of the most valuable works of art sold at aucton in Canada. It was an incredible moment to witness this exceptonal result for one of Canada’s most celebrated artsts.
Also ofered for public sale for the frst tme, Tom Thomson’s Petawawa Gorges (1916) doubled the low-end estmate, selling for $2.22 million to excited audience applause. The paintng was part of the artst’s family’s collecton for over ffy years before being acquired by the private collectors in 1972. Other versions of this compositon are in major public collectons across Canada.
A second work by the iconic painter, a rare sketch for a known canvas, Evening, Pine Island, also exceeded expectatons, selling for $1.68 million. These two works by Thomson are among the top fve works sold at aucton by the artst.
Debutng at aucton, Lawren Harris’ study for a canvas in the collecton of the Art Gallery of Ontario, North Shore, Lake Superior, doubled expectatons, selling for $1.03 million. The aucton set a new artst record for Group of Seven artst
A.Y. Jackson with the large oil on canvas Tadenac, November achieving
$936,000, exceeding the previous record of $760,500. Fellow Group member, Lionel LeMoine FitzGerald, broke an artst record when Stll Life with Plant soared to $168,000.
A rare canvas by the internatonally celebrated artst James Wilson Morrice, Neige, Canada (Snow Canada) (circa 1905), presented on the secondary market for the frst tme, doubled the presale estmate selling for $1.26 million. The accompanying sketch for the paintng, Study for “Neige, Canada” sold for six tmes the estmate at $408,000. Another Quebec artst, Ozias Leduc, found success in the evening aucton with a stll life paintng fetching the aucton record of $45,600. The Eaton’s Window, Montreal (1937) sold for $408,000, nine tmes the previous record of $45,600 for Adrien Hébert.
The oldest paintng in the collecton, a rare canvas by Paul Kane, Ojibwa Camp in the Spider Islands (circa 1845), sold for $1.08 million. This canvas spent more than a century in the collecton of the artst’s family and made its aucton debut with Cowley Abbot. The exquisite Le fûtste (The Flute Player) by Antoine Sebasten Plamondon saw ferce bidding and broke another aucton record when the canvas sold for a hammer of $120,000. Further paintngs by historical Canadian artsts were met with frenzied bidding. Henry Sandham’s charming paintng, Catching Waterlilies, set a record at $156,000, while Paul Peel’s The Luxembourg Gardens, Paris II, recently exhibited at the Natonal Gallery of Canada, was met with enthusiasm at $72,000.
David Milne’s Young Cedars (1919), painted during one of the most esteemed periods of his career, sold for $792,000, more than doubling its presale estmate. Jock Macdonald’s Drying Herring Roe, a monumental
1938 canvas, sold for $408,000, nearly fve tmes the previous record of $88,750. P.C. Sheppard’s Bonsecours Market, Montreal was met with avid interest, setng an artst record at $28,800.
This live aucton was a celebraton of women artsts, with numerous aucton records broken for female Canadian painters. Marcelle Ferron’s large, vibrant and dynamic Sans ttre, a monumental canvas of 1960, closely challenged the record for the artst at $1,260,000. Cowley Abbot had the pleasure of ofering work by another signifcant Montreal painter, Rita Letendre. Terre feconde, a striking 1961 canvas, doubled the presale estmate to sell for $264,000.
Frances Anne Hopkins achieved a new artst record of $552,000 with her 1867 canvas Voyageurs Encampment (Camp Scene on the Otawa), tripling the previous record. Charlote Schreiber’s diminutve oil, Edith Schreiber with her Sleigh, was greatly admired upon publicaton of the catalogue and set a new aucton record of $138,000 for one of Canada’s most notable female artsts.
A beautful watercolour by Laura Muntz, The Litle Red Head, fetched $14,000 and was a favorite during previews. The Studio, a stunning paintng by Florence Carlyle sold for $102,000 afer much spirited bidding. Mary Wrinch of Wychwood Park in Toronto, realized an aucton record in the evening aucton with French Canadian Cotage selling for $14,400.
We look forward to another excitng spring aucton season and to presentng the next installment of paintngs from this esteemed private collecton on June 8th at Toronto’s Globe & Mail Centre.
Announcing Leah L. Carey as Senior Advisor, Strategic Development
Leah joins Cowley Abbot following a decade of private practce in art appraisal, advisory and art collecton management. Prior to developing her own business, Leah was Managing Director of Sotheby’s Canada where her responsibilites included the day-to-day operaton of twice-yearly Canadian Art auctons as well as business development within the internatonal art department. Leah was Regional Representatve for Christe’s in Quebec & Atlantc Canada following a year with Christe’s New York. A graduate of the University of St. Andrews, Leah received a Master’s Degree in the History of Art and an undergraduate degree from the University of Western Ontario.
As Cowley Abbot enters its second decade, our primary focus contnues to be ensuring an exceptonal client experience that coincides with our increased market share of the Canadian Art market. As a Senior Advisor, Leah will work closely with the Cowley Abbot staf to develop and implement systems and procedures to ensure the frm’s contnued success. We are delighted to welcome Leah as a member of the Cowley Abbot team.
Private Sales at Cowley Abbot
Peter Ohler has been with the company for just over a year now and has swifly cemented himself as an integral member of the team. With over thirty-fve years of experience in the Canadian art market, Peter unearths incredible gems for collectors to buy privately. He has earned a reputaton within the dealer and collector community for adhering to the highest ethical standards and is trusted for his expertse and integrity. Contact Peter if you are interested in buying or selling Canadian art privately. Below you will fnd a selecton of works acquired through private sales with Peter Ohler at Cowley Abbot.
TOM THOMSON Smoke Lake, Algonquin Park (1914)
EMILY CARR Summer Mt. Douglas
A.J. CASSON Bobcaygeon (1934)
LAWREN HARRIS Houses in the Ward (1916)
J.E.H. MACDONALD Early Autumn, Montreal River, Algoma PAUL-ÉMILE BORDUAS Unttled (1956)
MAURICE CULLEN Quebec from Lévis (1897)
UPCOMING AUCTION SCHEDULE
Auction Dates & Details Subject to Change
View our Full Schedule at CowleyAbbott.ca
March
Celebrating Women Artists
Inuit & First Nations Art
Peaks to Prairies: Art of Western Canada
April
Prints, Photography & Multiples
April Abstractions
The Canadian Landscape
May
Historical Canadian Art
Post-War Contemporary Canadian Art
June
Live Auction of Important Canadian Art
Live Auction of An Important Private Collection - Part 2 Spring Auction of International Art
TOM THOMSON Petawawa Gorges (1916) Sold for $2,220,000
LAWREN HARRIS North Shore, Lake Superior Sold for $1,032,000
PAUL KANE Ojibwa Camp in the Spider Islands Sold for $1,080,000
JAMES WILSON MORRICE Neige, Canada (Snow, Canada) Sold for $1,260,000
A.Y. JACKSON Tadenac, November Sold for $936,000 (Aucton Record)
JOCK MACDONALD Drying Herring Roe Sold for $408,000
TOM THOMSON Evening, Pine Island Sold for $1,680,000
EMILY CARR The Totem of the Bear and the Moon Sold for $3,120,000
MARCELLE FERRON Sans ttre Sold for $1,260,000
ADRIEN HÉBERT The Eaton’s Window, Montreal Sold for $408,000 (Aucton Record)
L.L. FITZGERALD Stll Life with Plant Sold for $168,000 (Aucton Record)
RITA LETENDRE Terre feconde Sold for $264,000
DAVID MILNE Young Cedars Sold for $792,000
FRANCES HOPKINS Voyageurs Encampment (Camp Scene on the Otawa) Sold for $552,000 (Aucton Record)
PETER CLAPHAM SHEPPARD Bonsecours Market, Montreal Sold for $28,800 (Aucton Record)
A.Y. JACKSON Le Boulanger, Baie St. Paul
RITA LETENDRE Rencontre en fammé (1962)
FERNANDO BOTERO The Kitchen
