- Market leader Heffel to present 92 artworks at its spring live auction to a remote audience, expected to total $10M to $14M
- Leading the auction are major masterworks by Emily Carr, Fernand Léger and Alex Colville
- Collectors will compete from the safety and comfort of home, through Heffel's advanced Digital Saleroom, featuring a three-city livestream, broadcast from separate salerooms in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver
TORONTO, May 26, 2021 /CNW/ - As the global art market soars to new heights, Heffel Fine Art Auction House continues to break the mold. Following a year of transformation, the leading firm has redefined the boundaries yet again for its marquee spring auction on June 23, 2021. Seamlessly marrying the live and digital experience, and utilizing its national horsepower, Heffel will present a reimagined saleroom to its international collectors. The sale will feature 92 exceptional works of art spanning defining periods of art history, estimated to total between $10 million and $14 million. Broadcast live to an entirely remote audience, the Post-War & Contemporary Art and Canadian, Impressionist & Modern Art sessions will be anchored by top names, including Emily Carr, Fernand Léger and Alex Colville. (All prices are in Canadian dollars and are conservative estimates.)
For the first time ever in Canada, Heffel's auction will feature a three-city livestream, broadcast from separate salerooms in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Using industry-leading technology, viewers will see one primary broadcast of the auctioneer and telephone bidders, as well as two satellite auction rooms with additional telephone bidders in different locations, competing against online bidders as well as absentee bidders.
"This is a pivotal moment in the advancement of the global art market. Heffel's vision for this auction was to curate an engaging and experiential event for limitless bidders and viewers across the globe, powered by our national team," said David Heffel, President of Heffel Fine Art Auction House. "The auction world is experiencing a new era, and we are proud to be at the forefront."
Canvases by Emily Carr are among the rarest treasures in Canadian art, and two mature-period masterworks lead Heffel's Canadian, Impressionist & Modern Art session. Tossed by the Wind, a dynamic 1939 forest scene with a rich green and blue palette, stands out among the very best examples by the artist to ever come to market. Also on offer is Swirl, a sought-after, museum-quality canvas painted in 1937. The work was consigned from a private collection in Seattle and was once owned by Lawren Harris, Carr's cherished friend and supporter. Both works are accompanied by significant provenance, and will be coming to market for the first time in more than seven decades.
On the heels of Heffel's record-shattering sale of Alex Colville's Dog and Bridge, two major paintings by the artist shine in the upcoming Post-War & Contemporary Art catalogue. Both works are remarkable in their own right, and are quintessential examples of Colville's personal and profound representations of animals. The sublime Girl on Piebald Horse is fresh to the auction market and has been included in important showings of Colville's works worldwide since it was painted in 1952. Dog and Horse, another well-known masterwork, is harmonious depiction of the relationship between the two animals. Both works are sure to draw attention from global buyers.
Highlights from the Heffel Auction
- Two masterpiece canvases by Emily Carr lead Heffel's spring auction, both from her mature period in the late 1930s. Tossed by the Wind, a sweeping Beacon Hill forest scene from 1939 (est. $1,200,000 – 1,600,000) and Swirl (est. $1,000,000 – 1,500,000), a museum-quality work that Carr gifted to Lawren Harris come to market with sterling provenance and have never before been offered at auction. Rounding out the Carr offering is Stormy Day, Brittany, an exceptional example from her early and formative years in Europe (est. $125,000 – 175,000).
- With a market that knows no bounds, four highly collectible works by Alex Colville will be presented in the spring sale, highlighted by the well-known Girl on Piebald Horse (est. $700,000 - 900,000) and Dog and Horse (est. $400,000 - 600,000). The offering follows Heffel's record-breaking sale of Colville's Dog and Bridge for $2.4 million last year.
- A monumental work by French powerhouse Fernand Léger leads the Heffel sale by estimate. The vibrant Peinture imaginaire was painted over a 13-year period from 1939 – 1952, and is a standout example from the artist's oeuvre (est. $1,500,000 – 2,000,000).
- Renowned American Abstract Expressionist Joan Mitchell will undoubtedly excite international collectors with Untitled, an early canvas originally gifted to her sister Sally Perry (est. $250,000 – 350,000).
- Jean Paul Riopelle shines in this spring sale with eight works hitting the auction block, led by the joyful, large-scale Sans titre, a triptych mixed media composition (est. $400,000 – 600,000) and Doubs, an exemplary 1959 canvas consigned from a prominent European collection (est. $350,000 – 450,000). Heffel is proud to sponsor the exhibition Riopelle: The Call of Northern Landscapes and Indigenous Cultures, on now until September at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, before coming to Whistler's Audain Art Museum.
- The Post-War offering this season is rounded out by two outstanding examples by West Coast favourite E.J. Hughes. Both Above Revelstoke and The Beach at Kalamalka picture breathtaking views of BC, painted in the early 1960s (est. $150,000 – 250,000 each).
- Excitement around the Group of Seven is sky high, following a banner year of sales and celebrations in line with the Group's 100 year anniversary. A number of incredible works by its members will be presented, including Lawren Harris's Coldwell - North Shore, Lake Superior (est. $100,000 – 150,000) and A.Y. Jackson's La Malbaie, Quebec (est. $100,000 – 120,000).
- Cornelius Krieghoff's classic Canadiana canvas Quebec Farm is a standout lot in the historical catalogue. The 1856 painting is an important piece of art history and was previously owned by famous art collector Peter Winkworth (est. $300,000 – 400,000).
Heffel Spring Auction Schedule
To give interested buyers from across Canada an opportunity to view these works, the collection will be previewed through virtual gallery tours at Heffel.com, and by appointment in three cities leading up to the auction.
- Vancouver: Wednesday, May 5 to Wednesday, May 19, 11 am – 6 pm, Heffel Gallery (2247 Granville Street)
- Montreal: Thursday, May 27 to Thursday, June 3, 11 am – 6 pm, Galerie Heffel (1840 rue Sherbrooke Ouest)
- Toronto: Wednesday, June 9 to Thursday, June 22, 11 am – 6 pm, Heffel Gallery
- (13 Hazelton Avenue)
The two-session auction will take place on Wednesday, June 23. The sale will be broadcast live at Heffel.com and several remote bidding options will be available.
- 4:30 pm ET — Video Presentation
- 5:00 pm ET — Post-War & Contemporary Art
- 7:00 pm ET — Canadian, Impressionist & Modern Art
For details on the previews and auction, and to access the online catalogues, please visit www.heffel.com.
About Heffel Fine Art Auction House
Heffel has sold more Canadian art than any other auctioneer worldwide, with sales totaling more than half a billion dollars since 1978. With offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa and Calgary, Heffel has the most experienced team of fine art specialists in Canada and provides superior client service to both sellers and buyers internationally.
SOURCE Heffel Fine Art Auction House
For additional information, to schedule an interview or media viewing, or for high-resolution images, please contact: Rebecca Rykiss, Heffel Fine Art Auction House, [email protected], 416-961-6505 ext. 323
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