Latest news with #CanadianArt
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Group of Seven Shatters Records at Heffel's Landmark All-Canadian Auction
Heffel's watershed all-Canadian auction achieves $22M and shatters records for major artists Group of Seven masterpieces from University Club of Toronto collection dominate sale Multiple auction records smashed, including Franklin Carmichael, Arthur Lismer, A.Y. Jackson and Daphne Odjig TORONTO, May 22, 2025 /CNW/ - Heffel Fine Art Auction House is honoured to celebrate the success of its record-breaking Spring live auction, a watershed evening dedicated exclusively to Canadian masterworks. The all-Canadian sale, held in Heffel's Toronto saleroom, brought together collectors from across the country and around the globe, united in their pursuit of Canada's most legendary artists. It was an electric night for the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson, whose major paintings shattered records and contributed to the evening's overall total of $22 million. As the leader in Canada's market and ranked among the top auction houses in the world globally, Heffel is proud to champion the nation's cultural icons on the international stage. The auction was led by three historic Group of Seven canvases by Lawren Harris, Franklin Carmichael and Arthur Lismer, consigned from the storied University Club of Toronto. These exceptional paintings by Canada's first national art movement—steeped in institutional history and national pride—anchored a night of landmark results and celebrated a vital chapter in Canada's cultural history. (All prices are in Canadian dollars and include a buyer's premium.) "Tonight was a true celebration of Canada," said Robert Heffel, Vice President of Heffel. "To see such exceptional works by our country's iconic artists resonate so deeply with collectors is incredibly rewarding. It's an honour for our team to help steward these national treasures into their next chapters." Highlights from the Heffel Spring 2025 Live Auction A landmark canvas by Lawren Harris led the evening, drawing serious interest from collectors. Northern Lake, a 1926 masterpiece from the University Club of Toronto collection, realized $3,121,250. The historic painting of international acclaim, awarded a gold medal at the 1926 Sesqui-Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia and exhibited at the Musée du Jeu de Paume in Paris, is a defining example of Harris's celebrated vision and mastery (est. $2,000,000 – 3,000,000). Leaf Pattern, the dazzling 1922 canvas by Franklin Carmichael shattered both its presale estimate and the artist's auction record and sold for $2,281,250 at the Heffel sale (est. $700,000 – 900,000). Also consigned from the University Club of Toronto, widely published and exhibited extensively throughout its lifetime, this stunning canvas truly captivated collectors. McGregor Bay Islands by Group of Seven artist Arthur Lismer achieved an exceptional price of $1,621,250, setting an auction record for the artist and marking Lismer's entry first entry into the million-dollar club. Widely exhibited and long held at the University Club of Toronto, the stunning canvas stands as one of Lismer's most important works and a quintessential example of the Group of Seven's vision (est. $600,000 – $800,000). A.Y. Jackson's phenomenal Night on the Skeena River set a deserving new auction record for the artist, soaring to $1,081,250 (est. $800,000 – $1,000,000). Painted during his pivotal Group of Seven years, the dramatic canvas is widely considered one of the finest canvases ever painted by the artist. Tom Thomson's rare and coveted oil sketches continue to be among the most sought-after works in Canadian art. Three outstanding paintings each surpassed $1 million, showcasing his most iconic subjects and locations; Autumn, Algonquin Park sold for $1,201,250, Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park for $1,051,250 and Dawn on Round Lake (Kawawaymog Lake) for $1,021,250. Important works by Emily Carr realized strong prices in the Heffel auction, including her dynamic seascape canvas Shoreline, which sold for $901,250 (est. $750,000 – 850,000) and British Columbia Forest for $541,250 (est. $250,000 – 350,000), reaffirming the artist's enduring global appeal. Heffel continues to champion Carr's incredible legacy and unmatched place in Canadian art history. Carr's masterworks, together with works by Lawren Harris and other Canadian greats, are on view in the global touring exhibition Northern Lights, currently on at Fondation Beyeler in Basel, Switzerland, before opening at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in Buffalo, New York. Daphne Odjig's beautiful Awakening of Spring set a new auction record for the artist and sold for $133,250. The powerful and distinctive canvas exemplifies Odjig's ability to blend traditional themes with contemporary expression, solidifying her status as a pivotal figure in Canadian art (est. $50,000 – 70,000). For more information on the works included in Heffel's spring live auction, visit Heffel is now welcoming consignments for the fall 2025 auction season. The deadline for fall consignments is August 2025. About Heffel Fine Art Auction HouseSince 1978, Heffel has connected passionate collectors across the world with outstanding works of art, with sales of more than $1 billion. Heffel is renowned for its expertise in effectively managing and handling the sale of works from estates, institutional collections, corporate collections and private collections, serving as trusted experts for navigating the complexities of art collections with precision and care. Notable results include the 2016 sale of Lawren Harris' Mountain Forms for $11,210,000– the record for any Canadian artwork ever sold at auction – as well as Jean Paul Riopelle's Vent du nord for $7,438,750 in 2017. With galleries and support facilities in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary, Heffel has the most experienced team of specialists in Canada and provides premium client service to both sellers and buyers internationally. SOURCE Heffel Fine Art Auction House View original content to download multimedia: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Group of Seven Shatters Records at Heffel's Landmark All-Canadian Auction
Heffel's watershed all-Canadian auction achieves $22M and shatters records for major artists Group of Seven masterpieces from University Club of Toronto collection dominate sale Multiple auction records smashed, including Franklin Carmichael, Arthur Lismer, A.Y. Jackson and Daphne Odjig TORONTO, May 22, 2025 /CNW/ - Heffel Fine Art Auction House is honoured to celebrate the success of its record-breaking Spring live auction, a watershed evening dedicated exclusively to Canadian masterworks. The all-Canadian sale, held in Heffel's Toronto saleroom, brought together collectors from across the country and around the globe, united in their pursuit of Canada's most legendary artists. It was an electric night for the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson, whose major paintings shattered records and contributed to the evening's overall total of $22 million. As the leader in Canada's market and ranked among the top auction houses in the world globally, Heffel is proud to champion the nation's cultural icons on the international stage. The auction was led by three historic Group of Seven canvases by Lawren Harris, Franklin Carmichael and Arthur Lismer, consigned from the storied University Club of Toronto. These exceptional paintings by Canada's first national art movement—steeped in institutional history and national pride—anchored a night of landmark results and celebrated a vital chapter in Canada's cultural history. (All prices are in Canadian dollars and include a buyer's premium.) "Tonight was a true celebration of Canada," said Robert Heffel, Vice President of Heffel. "To see such exceptional works by our country's iconic artists resonate so deeply with collectors is incredibly rewarding. It's an honour for our team to help steward these national treasures into their next chapters." Highlights from the Heffel Spring 2025 Live Auction A landmark canvas by Lawren Harris led the evening, drawing serious interest from collectors. Northern Lake, a 1926 masterpiece from the University Club of Toronto collection, realized $3,121,250. The historic painting of international acclaim, awarded a gold medal at the 1926 Sesqui-Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia and exhibited at the Musée du Jeu de Paume in Paris, is a defining example of Harris's celebrated vision and mastery (est. $2,000,000 – 3,000,000). Leaf Pattern, the dazzling 1922 canvas by Franklin Carmichael shattered both its presale estimate and the artist's auction record and sold for $2,281,250 at the Heffel sale (est. $700,000 – 900,000). Also consigned from the University Club of Toronto, widely published and exhibited extensively throughout its lifetime, this stunning canvas truly captivated collectors. McGregor Bay Islands by Group of Seven artist Arthur Lismer achieved an exceptional price of $1,621,250, setting an auction record for the artist and marking Lismer's entry first entry into the million-dollar club. Widely exhibited and long held at the University Club of Toronto, the stunning canvas stands as one of Lismer's most important works and a quintessential example of the Group of Seven's vision (est. $600,000 – $800,000). A.Y. Jackson's phenomenal Night on the Skeena River set a deserving new auction record for the artist, soaring to $1,081,250 (est. $800,000 – $1,000,000). Painted during his pivotal Group of Seven years, the dramatic canvas is widely considered one of the finest canvases ever painted by the artist. Tom Thomson's rare and coveted oil sketches continue to be among the most sought-after works in Canadian art. Three outstanding paintings each surpassed $1 million, showcasing his most iconic subjects and locations; Autumn, Algonquin Park sold for $1,201,250, Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park for $1,051,250 and Dawn on Round Lake (Kawawaymog Lake) for $1,021,250. Important works by Emily Carr realized strong prices in the Heffel auction, including her dynamic seascape canvas Shoreline, which sold for $901,250 (est. $750,000 – 850,000) and British Columbia Forest for $541,250 (est. $250,000 – 350,000), reaffirming the artist's enduring global appeal. Heffel continues to champion Carr's incredible legacy and unmatched place in Canadian art history. Carr's masterworks, together with works by Lawren Harris and other Canadian greats, are on view in the global touring exhibition Northern Lights, currently on at Fondation Beyeler in Basel, Switzerland, before opening at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in Buffalo, New York. Daphne Odjig's beautiful Awakening of Spring set a new auction record for the artist and sold for $133,250. The powerful and distinctive canvas exemplifies Odjig's ability to blend traditional themes with contemporary expression, solidifying her status as a pivotal figure in Canadian art (est. $50,000 – 70,000). For more information on the works included in Heffel's spring live auction, visit Heffel is now welcoming consignments for the fall 2025 auction season. The deadline for fall consignments is August 2025. About Heffel Fine Art Auction HouseSince 1978, Heffel has connected passionate collectors across the world with outstanding works of art, with sales of more than $1 billion. Heffel is renowned for its expertise in effectively managing and handling the sale of works from estates, institutional collections, corporate collections and private collections, serving as trusted experts for navigating the complexities of art collections with precision and care. Notable results include the 2016 sale of Lawren Harris' Mountain Forms for $11,210,000– the record for any Canadian artwork ever sold at auction – as well as Jean Paul Riopelle's Vent du nord for $7,438,750 in 2017. With galleries and support facilities in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary, Heffel has the most experienced team of specialists in Canada and provides premium client service to both sellers and buyers internationally. SOURCE Heffel Fine Art Auction House View original content to download multimedia: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CBC
12-05-2025
- General
- CBC
How N.W.T.'s Legislature building became home to a collection of A.Y. Jackson works
Social Sharing Windows stretch overhead in a circular meeting room of the N.W.T. Legislative Assembly building in Yellowknife, casting a natural light on a collection of works by one of Canada's most renowned and celebrated painters, A.Y. Jackson. Jackson was a member of the Group of Seven, a collective of Canadian painters that formed in the 1920s and became famous for their unique depictions of Canadian scenes. Members of the Group — Jackson in particular — frequently visited the North during the mid-1900s to paint the landscapes and also its mining industry. Ten of Jackson's oil pieces are on permanent display in the Muskox Room of the N.W.T. Legislative Assembly building and they continue to inspire people. The Group's influence has undoubtedly stood the test of time. To put it into perspective, consider that an exhibition a few years ago in Ontario consisted of works made from the bacteria found on some of the Group's painting tools. John Geoghegan is an associate curator for the McMichael Canadian Art Collection and has worked on numerous Group of Seven exhibits. He says the works that reside in the N.W.T.'s Legislative Assembly were from Jackson's second trip to the territory in the late 1940s. "A.Y. Jackson painted every province and territory in Canada and was really showing the Canadian public places that many of them had never seen before, through his paintings," said Geoghegan. He believes Jackson was inspired by the North with the expressive colours in his works being a testament to that. N.W.T.-based artist Darrell Chocolate says the colours seen in Jackson's works resonate for him as well. "To see all the landscapes, especially the fall scenery when all the tundra leaves start to turn red and orange, it brings a sense of warmth," said Chocolate. "The sunsets, the orange sky with the clouds. You see the purple, You see the blue. This is the uniqueness of being Dene. We have a lot of history here and I like to capture what I see." Chocolate grew up in Gamètì, N.W.T., and he said he remembers seeing Jackson's pieces during visits to Yellowknife when he was younger. "Even looking at them now, it reminds me, it's the inspiration that I've seen growing up," said Chocolate. Chocolate wonders whether Jackson's paintings might be better suited for an art gallery or other public space where more people might see them. 'It's almost hidden away from the public. It's such beautiful art to be isolated. For people to see it, it's really a remarkable thing to see, all the beauty in the art, the originality in the art." Geoghegan said that the N.W.T. collection of Jackson's paintings is special because the artist's oil sketches made out on the land are displayed alongside the final canvas pieces. The paintings and sketches were held for years at the National Gallery in Ottawa and shown in exhibits in Toronto and Montreal before they started to be returned to the territory in 1967. After years of effort, the works ended up in the Legislative Assembly building in Yellowknife when it opened in 1993. While not in a gallery, the pieces can be seen during tours held at the Legislative Assembly throughout the year. Portraying culture and the land Jackson's work was done at a time when Indigenous perspectives and creations were largely excluded from the art world in Canada and elsewhere. Geoghegan said the Group of Seven's work is a part of a much larger discussion around how the land was depicted during the early and mid-1900s. Some of the Group's work has been criticized for depicting landscapes as essentially empty, and therefore erasing the presence of Indigenous people there at the time. Geoghegan said that Jackson's N.W.T. paintings complicate those discussions. "While the majority of Jackson's works render the landscape as empty, there are bodies of work like this one that do show various aspects of contemporary Indigenous life," said Geoghegan. "That is something that I think scholars are still just coming to and unpacking and trying to understand, exactly the scope of Jackson's engagement with Indigenous communities." Jackson and N.W.T. mines Jackson's N.W.T. paintings also show that he was interested in more than just natural landscapes. In 1948, Jackson was invited by the federal deputy minister of mines and resources to do sketches of Yellowknife and the surrounding areas. "It reveals a side of A.Y. Jackson that a lot of people maybe don't think about, and that is his paintings of industry," said Geoghegan. W.J. Bennett, vice president of the former Eldorado Mining and Refining, a federal Crown corporation that funded Jackson's trips to the N.W.T., wrote in a booklet published in 1988 that the company's board of directors had decided to donate their nine sketches and a canvas painting by Jackson to Yellowknife's Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. Two finished canvas pieces from Jackson's Eldorado mining trip sketches, depicted in Bennett's booklet, are in the N.W.T. Legislative Assembly collection: Consolidated Mine, NT, and West Bay Fault, NT, both dated 1949.
Globe and Mail
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
Swiss exhibit Northern Lights puts classic Canadian art in new perspective
A Canadian art lover might be surprised to discover an exhibition where Emily Carr is hung alongside Edvard Munch. What would those beloved images of West Coast trees and totems have to do with the Norwegian's notoriously psychological art? Both, it turns out, were artists who painted the boreal forest. That is the starting point for Northern Lights, an exhibition comparing Canadian and Northern European landscape painting in the late 19th and early 20th century. It matches up Carr, Tom Thomson, Lawren Harris and J.E.H MacDonald with Munch, the Swedish artist Hilma af Klint and less familiar European names such as the Finnish artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela and the Swedish artists Anna Boberg and Gustaf Fjaestad. 'We had the feeling there is a lot to say about northern art,' said curator Ulf Küster, who organized the exhibition at the Beyeler Foundation, a museum of modern and contemporary art near Basel, Switzerland. Building on a successful 2007 exhibition devoted to Munch, it's part of a look northward for an institution better known for a strong collection of southern European art, including works by the French Impressionists Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse. The new show also reflects the slowly growing recognition of classic Canadian art outside of Canada. Once the exhibition closes at the end of the month, it moves to the United States where the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in Buffalo has recently launched an initiative to show Nordic art. 'Canadian art of the early 20th century is practically unknown outside Canada. It's very strange,' Küster said. 'Even in America, the Americans don't know much about it.' A decade ago, Küster was introduced to the Canadian landscape tradition by the Scottish painter Peter Doig, who grew up partly in Canada. Doig gave him the catalogue for the 2011 show of Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London, England, a rare example of European attention to Canadian art. Küster is particularly impressed by the small oil sketches produced by Thomson and the Group, praising their plein air directness on the one hand and their well-conceived compositions on the other. 'It's funny: The second-largest country on Earth has been painted with these tiny sketches. It works extremely well,' he said. 'The tiny can be monumental.' The exhibition devotes an entire room to the sketches. However, Canadians who have grown up with the notion that Carr, Thomson and the Group form a national school determined to create new painting for a new country will be interested to discover Küster's different approach. Although he recognizes that both the European and Canadian artists may have found national sentiment a useful marketing tool, he describes them as independent from stylistic schools or political agendas. Their styles range widely from Harris's abstracted geometric mountains to Fjaestad's pointillism – so detailed it reaches for photo realism – and then all the way to Munch's dark subjects, such as Vampire in the Forest in which a woman sucks at a man's neck. 'They are modernists, really doing their own individual thing. They have a distinct personal style,' he said. 'I try to avoid all these isms, like symbolism, realism, naturalism – and nationalism.' For example, the painting Charred Tree by Gallen-Kallela is a snowy landscape depicting an old burnt trunk with a fresh young birch growing beside it. Painted in 1906, 11 years before Finland gained independence from Russia, it is often interpreted as an image of the new country springing up beside the dead empire. Küster calls this nonsense, pointing out that after a forest fire birch trees are the first to regrow. His environmental approach to these works is inspired by his late brother, a botanist who died in 2024 and who first pointed out to him that the northern European landscape paintings often featured depictions of the taiga, or boreal forest. In his introduction to the exhibition catalogue, he also remarks that equating the Group of Seven with Canadian nationalism is problematic because it doesn't include any First Nations' perspectives. Canadians might be surprised not to find any Indigenous art in the exhibition, since increasingly curators here mix contemporaneous Indigenous pieces with Canadian ones. Nor is there much further reference to Indigenous presence on the land, which Carr was one of the few landscape artists of that generation to recognize. Küster said he felt that as a scholar of European art, he lacked the expertise to include Indigenous art. Instead, in the catalogue, he provides a series of historic photographs by settlers and tourists that show human activity, both white and Indigenous. The photos belong to the Archive of Modern Conflict, the London photography collection owned by David Thomson (whose family holding company Woodbridge Co. Ltd. owns The Globe and Mail). Dating from about 1880 to 1920 the photographs include a Hudson Bay settlement and First Nations camps in Canada, railway building in Siberia and rare images of the Sami, the Indigenous people who live in Northern Scandinavia, Finland and Russia. The images also feature two valiant attempts by a Norwegian photographer to capture on film the capricious spectacle of the Northern Lights. Northern Lights continues at the Beyeler Foundation in Riehen, Switzerland, to May 25, and opens at the Buffalo AKG in Buffalo on Aug. 1.
CTV News
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Canadian artwork featured at the 'Artists Project'
Toronto Watch Supporting Canadian artist has been made accessible as thousands of works of art can be seen at the 'Artists Project' at the Better Living Centre. CTV's Jessica Smith has the details.
