A privately-owned collection of Canadian masterpieces is up for auction in December, with paintings by Emily Carr, Paul Kane and Tom Thomson among the highlights.
The 50 paintings have an estimated value of $8 to $12 million and are part of a larger collection of 150 artworks with an estimated value of more than $20 million. It’s considered one of the largest private collections in Canada of its size.
"This collection of artwork, which was so carefully collected and so passionately collected, every artwork is incredible," Rob Cowley, art specialist and president at Cowley Abbott Auctions, told CTV's Your Morning on Monday.
"The market for these artists is quite lucrative leading to very high auction estimates and lots of demand," he said. "Subject matter is very important, so what an artist is best known for, the period of the work, each of these are from exquisite periods…The condition, the quality of the work…"
The art belonged to Toronto-based collectors and has been curated for over 60 years. Many paintings have been loaned to art galleries, museums and international art shows.
The auction is set to start Dec. 1 where buyers can bid online at Cowley Abbott Auctions, over the phone and in person at the Globe and Mail Centre in Toronto.
'Ojibwa Camp in the Spider Islands' (1845) by Paul Kane has been in the hands of his family for 130 years. In 1980 it was sold to the current owner who has kept it privately until this year. This is the first time the public can bid on the artwork, which is estimated to sell between $900,000 to $1.2 million.
'Petawawa Gorges' (1926), a painting by Tom Thomson, is up for public sale for the first time. The Thomson family held this piece for over 50 years before the current owner bought it in 1972. It has an estimated value of $1 million to $1.5 million.
'The Totem of the Bear and the Moon' (1912) by Emily Carr is valued at $2 million to $3 million. This "rare" painting is available for the first time at auction and has been included in important exhibitions for more than a century.
'Snow Canada' (1905) is a rare Canadian and international masterpiece by James Wilson Morrice. It has been in many exhibitions, including the memorial exhibition in 1925 at the Art Association of Montreal. This will be the first auction for the painting, with an estimated value between $400,000 and $600,000.
'North Shore, Lake Superior' (1923-1924) by Lawren Harris, a member of the Group of Seven, is set to be sold for $300,000 to $500,000 at the auction. This is the first time the painting is up for bids.
Correction:
Emily Carr's 'The Totem of the Bear and the Moon' is dated 1912, not 1921.
