NEWS LETTER
Winter 2024
Sun and
Price Realized: $984,000 (Aucton Record)
CLARENCE GAGNON
The Ice Harvest, Quebec, 1935
Price Realized: $984,000 (Aucton Record)
RECORD-BREAKING PRIVATE COLLECTION OF RARE CANADIAN ART MASTERPIECES GROSSES OVER $36 MILLION
The Cowley Abbot Fall 2023 Live Aucton marked the fnal session of three landmark live auctons dedicated to a prestgious Toronto private collecton of historical Canadian art. The bidding frenzy of the December 6th evening sale at the Globe and Mail Centre set aucton records for 8 artsts, with most artworks in the sale exceeding - and ofen doubling, tripling or more - the presale estmates.
Group of Seven artst Frederick Varley’s Sun and Wind, Georgian Bay brought in a record-breaking $984,000, more than 10 tmes the high end of the pre-aucton estmate of $70,000-$90,000. Clarence Gagnon’s large-scale canvas Ice Harvest, Quebec, depictng a cherished Canadian subject, fetched $984,000, exceeding the previous aucton record. Impressionist painter Helen McNicoll’s The Chintz Sofa achieved $888,000, more than doubling the presale estmate and setng a new artst record. The oil on canvas was exhibited extensively and internatonally for over a century, most recently included in the 2023 exhibiton, Cassat‒McNicoll: Impressionists Between Worlds at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Also setng an artst record was Charlote Schreiber’s stunning 1878 canvas Don’t Be Afraid, which was acquired by the collectors in 1968. At $624,000, the artwork sold for nearly fve tmes the previous artst record, which had been set in fall 2022 by another paintng from the same private collecton. Aucton records were also set for celebrated Canadian artsts Frederic Martlet Bell-Smith, Ozias Leduc, George Reid and Robert Clow Todd.
FREDERICK VARLEY Wind, Georgian Bay, 1916 or 1920 HELEN MCNICOLL The Chintz Sofa, c. 1912 Price Realized: $888,000 (Aucton Record)Expertly curated and passionately assembled over sixty years, this private collecton was rich in rare, museum-quality paintngs, drawings and sculptures by Canada’s most celebrated historical artsts. The artworks were already familiar to art collectors and connoisseurs, as the collecton was featured in major natonal and internatonal exhibitons, as well as illustrated in textbooks. The works were highly coveted due to their museum quality and rarity within the aucton market, with many of them debutng at aucton with Cowley Abbot.
Over the course of three aucton seasons presentng this exceptonal private collecton, Cowley Abbot has smashed 29 artst aucton records. The collecton has achieved in excess of $36 million with 9 artworks surpassing the $1 million mark, making it the highest grossing private collecton ever sold in Canadian aucton history. Cowley Abbot is privileged to have handled these artworks and thrilled to fnd them new homes. One of the most enjoyable aspects of our live auctons and gallery previews is allowing the public to experience these masterful artworks for a brief period before they pass into new hands. Several of the works were ofered for the frst tme, and many for the last tme during this generaton. We are grateful to our wonderful consignors, collectors and the Canadian art community for their contnued support and partcipaton throughout a momentous and record-breaking period for Cowley Abbot.
Driving Results through Promoton, Advertsing & Outreach
Leading up to the Fall Live Aucton, Cowley Abbot carried out extensive advertsing and promotonal campaigns. Several weeks of public previewing were held in Montreal and Toronto, with cocktail events held for VIP and corporate clients in both cites. We were once again honoured to host Charles Hill, former curator of Canadian Art at the Natonal Gallery of Canada, as a guest speaker in Montreal and Toronto. Regional and natonal newspapers frequently featured advertsements of our aucton highlights and owners Rob Cowley and Lydia Abbot travelled across the country to appear in television news segments and radio shows. This wide-ranging exposure played a key role in the tremendous success of the Fall Live Aucton.
CLARENCE
CHARLOTTE
FRANKLIN
Fall 2023 in Review
The frst session of our 2023 Fall Live Aucton held in the afernoon of December 6th featured rare and important Canadian and internatonal artworks from several prominent private and public collectons. Highlights included the vibrant striped canvas Serial 1964/1966 by Guido Molinari, deaccessioned by the Art Gallery of Ontario, with the proceeds going towards future acquisitons. Cowley Abbot was privileged to be entrusted with this paintng, on the heels of our success for the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq in June 2023. The Rolling Stones’ frontman Mick Jagger served as the subject of a large and rare screenprint by Andy Warhol, which drew atenton from press and sold above estmate for $276,000. Acclaimed contemporary Indigenous artst Alex Janvier’s lively 1980 canvas Ancient Relics soared above its pre-sale estmate of $30,000-50,000, selling for $312,000 and establishing a new aucton record. A favourite during previews was Streets Pier, Worthing by William Kurelek. The intricately detailed gouache sold for $144,000, surpassing its estmate of $25,000-35,000. Other notable results include The Forest Edge, a 1940 oil on paper by Emily Carr, achieving $168,000, and Norval Morrisseau’s canvas Migratng, 1978, hammering down at $108,000.
ALEX JANVIER
Ancient Relics, c. 1980
Price Realized: $312,000 (Aucton Record)
ANDY WARHOL
Mick Jagger, 1975
Price Realized: $276,000
GUIDO MOLINARI Serial, 1964/1966 Price
Trusted for his expertse, integrity and cultvaton of client relatonships for decades, Peter Ohler contnues to pursue, discover and present rare and important Canadian and internatonal artwork for collectors to acquire privately. Peter’s career with leading Canadian art galleries and his private frm, Ohler’s Fine Art, have led him to represent some of the country’s notable collectons, providing an efectve avenue to Cowley Abbot clients who may not wish to engage in the aucton process for the sale of their works of art.
Following his contnued success of acquiring, marketng and privately selling market-desirable artwork, Peter will be presentng special selectons of important, excitng artwork during the winter and spring seasons. Please contact Peter if you are interested in discussing Cowley Abbot’s private sale services.
326 Dundas Street West Toronto, Ontario M5T 1G5
Toll-Free: 1-866-931-8415 mail@cowleyabbot.ca CowleyAbbot.ca