We are pleased to welcome Catherine Lacroix to the Cowley Abbott team!
After completing her undergraduate studies at Concordia University, Catherine received her Master’s in Art History from the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where she specialized in Renaissance art. She then interned at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, researching European works within the permanent collection while providing administrative assistance.
Eager to further explore the commercial art world, Catherine undertook a short course at Christie’s in New York before moving to Vancouver to work at YKLM Auctions as part of the Canadian contemporary and Asian art departments. She contributed to establishing the reputation and increasing the visibility of this new auction house among local collectors and artists.
30 years in Calgary, 6 years in Vancouver and now, later this spring, here on the second floor at Cowley Abbott on Dundas St. in Toronto, Peter Ohler will have a new home to meet with clients and show a selection of Top Quality Canadian Art available for Private Sale. Please feel free to contact Peter at peter@cowleyabbott.ca for more details or drop in to view his recent acquisitions.
One of the recent
acquisitions that will be on display, a wonderful 1927 David Milne oil.
David Milne Under the Porch, Big Moose Lake, Adirondacks, N.Y. 13 September 1927 Oil on canvas 12×16 in.
Milne inventory #207.98
Provenance Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto c.1980 Private Collection Grace Borgenicht Gallery, New York, 1990 Private Collection
Exhibited Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, Centenary Exhibition, 1982, no. 7
The verandah of the staff house at the Glenmore Hotel on Big
Moose Lake provided David Milne with a sheltered painting place on several
occasions. Under the Porch as well as The Glenmore, Big Moose, and
Hotel Across the Way were all painted from this location.
During the five years between the spring of 1924 and 1929,
Milne’s life was split between Big Moose Lake in the summers (where his time
was largely absorbed by building a teahouse) and Lake Placid in the winters
(where he and Patsy ran the teahouse at Ski-T, at the foot of the Intervale
ski-jump). The construction schedule at Big Moose Lake and the responsibilities
at the Lake Placid Club cut heavily into Milne’s painting time and, although he
produced some outstanding paintings, his overall production fell sharply.
David Milne Jr and David P. Silcox, David B. Milne,Catalogue
Raisonné of the Paintings, Toronto, 1998, cat. no. 207.98
Looking through the Prints, Photography and Multiples auction, we see excellent works by the masters of the 20th Century, including Picasso, Motherwell, Dali, Albers and Chagall. But there are two exceptionally rare prints that are wonderful examples of the difference between an etching and an engraving.
River Drifters (River Drivers) by Frank Weston Benson
The first is entitled Rivers Drifters (Drivers) by Frank Weston Benson, who was already an accomplished painter when he took up printmaking. Benson was a member of a group, who became known as The Ten American Painters. They were an exhibition group that included Impressionists, Tonalists and Figure painters, such as Childe Hassam and John Henry Twatchman. William Merritt Chase would join the group later upon the death of Twachtman. Benson was exhibiting with the group when he took up etching recreationally in the early part of the 20th Century. He would have great success exhibiting and selling his work in this medium. His usual subject matter of choice was wildlife or sporting subjects.
However, in River Drifters (Drivers) from 1914, no wildlife is present, instead he has focused attention on two loggers working along the Grand Lake Stream in Washington County. Especially wonderful is the small detail of the pipe in the standing figure’s mouth. This is a fantastic example of the etching technique, where the lines have been burned (etched) onto the plate using a chemical process, having been coated in a substance that is acid resistant called the etching ground. The image is then drawn through the ground to reveal the plate below, which is then bathed in acid etching the plate. When compared to etching, engraving is a much more physical process, where lines are carved into the plate using sharp tools producing a cleaner more pronounced line.
Three Girls on a Chicken (Sasowsky 214) by Reginald Marsh
Reginald Marsh studied under John Sloan at the Art Students League in New York. His subject matter were the people of New York, whether at play on Coney Island, dancing at a night club, riding the subway or just walking the street. Here is another American artist who took printmaking to a new level. Not only was he concerned with the finished product, but he was also obsessed with how he arrived there. Part of his process was making sure the temperature in his studio was just right for printmaking. Marsh was also aware of the age of the bath that his plates were soaked in, recording how long the paper soaked, observing the heating of the plate and the nature of the ink used in printing. Three Girls on a Chicken is from 1941, from an edition of approximately only twenty and is an extremely scarce engraving presenting Marsh at his finest.
Perry Tung viewing the offerings of this month’s online auction
Cowley Abbott is delighted to offer these rare works in our
Prints, Photography and Multiples Auction currently open for bidding until
April 19th.
Anna is a Senior Specialist of Canadian Art at Cowley
Abbott, having more than ten years of experience in the Canadian art world.
While continually remaining highly engaged with all aspects of art and culture,
Anna is passionate about absorbing as much as she can through exhibitions,
shows, talks, publications and more.
The Toronto arts scene is robust, having expanded and grown immensely over recent years. As one of the members of Cowley Abbott who was born and bred in Toronto, Anna, what have you noticed in terms of the arts and culture community in the city?
I grew up going to exhibitions and shows at the AGO, ROM,
TSO, National Ballet, etc. with my parents. I am thankful for those nostalgic
memories, as it fostered a steadfast interest and love for art and culture from
a young age. It is a wonderful sign of growth for the arts community of Toronto
to see new art galleries popping up and art institutions being founded. Private
galleries and auction houses, for example, are no longer primarily located in the
Yorkville area, but are now scattered throughout the city, signalling positive
expansion. The pandemic certainly changed how we interact with and appreciate
art exhibitions, creating exciting virtual opportunities (which Cowley Abbott
embraced), but it really is exhilarating to be back at our Canadian art and
cultural institutions in-person again. Attend an exhibition or show as soon as
you can!
Cowley Abbott now holds a twice-yearly Inuit and First Nations Auction, amongst the many other exciting auctions. This is an exciting venture and one that all of the team feel strongly about in terms of learning and respecting the artwork. You have a profound interest in historical Canadian art, but we hear you also enjoy studying Indigenous art?
I do indeed have a profound interest in historical Canadian
art – anything that I can sink my teeth into that affords me the chance for a
deep dive into research, but this also applies for Inuit and First Nations art.
I had the rare opportunity many years ago to work with and learn from a friend
with vast experience in Inuit art. (Actually, my entrance essay for the
Christie’s Master’s program explored the sculptural creations of the Inuit
artist, Manasie Akpaliapik.) As a result, I enjoy discovering new artists and
having the opportunity to handle Inuit artworks entrusted to CA for sale – the
tactile element is wonderful. With fantastic organizations like The Inuit Art
Foundation, which seeks to support Inuit artists through the beautiful Inuit
Art Quarterly (subscribe today!), as well the recent publications on Indigenous
and Inuit artists from the Art Canada Institute, we can learn more about this
beautiful and unique art form and the many talented artists. Make sure to visit
the AGO’s current exhibition, “Robert Houle: Red is Beautiful”, and read all
you can!
Anna
Holmes can be reached directly by e-mail at anna@cowleyabbott.ca. Stay
tuned for the next installment of “Introducing the Cowley Abbott Team” in
a week!
Patrick graduated from OCADU in 2005 and has 15 years of experience working in fine art galleries and auction houses. Joining the Cowley Abbott team in 2019, Patrick has enthusiastically continued developing his knowledge of historical, modern and contemporary Canadian art.
Patrick, you are immersed in art in all
aspects of your life, as you are an artist yourself! This is of great benefit
to Cowley Abbott and wonderful to have an artist on staff. Can you tell us a
bit about your art practice and inspiration?
It has definitely been useful to draw on a
familiarity with painting materials and processes. I often find myself looking
very closely at paintings and thinking about the process the artist went
through. It is such an immense privilege to be surrounded by incredible works
by so many different artists each day. My own paintings are a mix of different
influences, sort of a dialogue between geometric structures and more painterly
forms. It’s abstract, but I see it as a “content-based abstraction”.
As an alumnus of the Ontario College of
Art and Design, you walked the halls that many celebrated Canadian artists also
frequented. Can you share what your studies at OCAD were focused on and how
that experience informed your decision to work in the art world?
The history associated with OCAD is pretty
fascinating. It’s so rewarding to look at art and also learn about the lives of
artists, local histories and the wider social and cultural contexts. While I
was at OCAD, the focus was very much on studio practice, and it was a great
time to experiment with different mediums and connect with peers and teachers.
Any long-term creative pursuit is going to have ups and downs, but painting
seems to have a way of constantly pulling me back. So I feel very fortunate to
be working in a field where I’m very much engaged with art of the past and
present.
Patrick Staheli can be
reached directly by e-mail at patrick@cowleyabbott.ca. Stay tuned for
the next installment of “Introducing the Cowley Abbott Team” in a week!
Lot 147: Ronald York Wilson, Prehistoric Enigma mixed media on paper, 8.75 x 9 ins Estimate: $400-600
Accessible Art Picks in the February Online Auctions
Cowley Abbott’s February online auctions are divided into three categories: Canada & Abroad, Three Dimensions, Works on Paper & Prints. I am going to highlight some of my (more affordable) picks and provide a bit of background information as to why I chose them.
Lot 14: W.E. Atkinson, Shades of Evening oil on canvas, 20 x 16 ins Estimate: $1,500-2,000
In my previous blog post, I mentioned how I like auctions because they expose you to a wide range of art, making you consider some artworks you wouldn’t have otherwise sought out. For example, I am generally drawn to abstract art because I studied it in school and it is modern and often colourful. If I were to look to buy art at a gallery I would probably seek out a modern art exhibition. That being said, the artworks that strike me the most in this month’s sales would be considered quite traditional: George Reid’s Sketch for “Spring” and William Edwin Atkinson Shades of Evening. They are both soft and romantic, with a very impressionistic quality. This goes to show that auctions can open your eyes to new things – they provide the opportunity to surprise yourself!
Lot 58: Manly MacDonald, Baker House Close, Edinburgh etching, 10.25 x 8 ins Estimate $250-350
Etchings are a beautiful type of printmaking that require an impressive and painstaking technique. The image is first etched by hand into a copper plate, then submerged in acid, then run through a printing press. The process requires an incredible attention to detail with essentially no margin for error, and as a result I feel that etchings deserve more attention than they often receive. Manly MacDonald’s etching Baker House Close, Edinburgh is a charming and delicate depiction of a Scottish street scene, and it has an estimate of only $250-350.
Lot 104: Marion Post Wolcott Jitterbugging on a Saturday Night in Juke Joint near Clarksdale, MI, 1939 gelatin print, 10 x 8.75 ins Estimate: $1,000-1,500
Marion Post Wolcott was a notable American photographer, best known for documenting poverty and deprivation in the United States during the Great Depression. Her photographs are in the collections of large museums such as the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is exciting to see one of Wolcott’s historical photographs from 1939 offered in the February Works on Paper & Prints auction: lot 104, Jitterbugging on a Saturday Night in Juke Joint near Clarksdale, MI, 1939.
Lot 153: Harold Town, Stretch Blue on Grey serigraph, 40 x 28.5 ins Estimate: $300-400
Harold Town’s Stretch Blue on Grey is a fantastic print. The stretched-out blue bands are fun and would add the perfect pop of not-too-bright colour to a room. It was made in 1971, so it bears that 60s/70s mod aesthetic, yet it could also pass as contemporary. With an estimate of only $300-400, it is really a great opportunity!
Lot 168: Ivan Eyre, Echo etching, 10 x 13 ins Estimate: $300-400
Echo by Ivan Eyre is another example of the intricate etching technique, as well as an example of the accessibility of the artist’s prints in comparison to his oil paintings. Eyre is a contemporary artist whose work is in demand at the gallery level and auction level. Eyre’s acrylic painting Amber Pass was in Cowley Abbott’s June 2021 live auction, with an estimate of $80,000-120,000, and the work sold way above the estimate for $228,000. The artist’s prints, such as Echo, with an estimate of $300-400, are evidently a much more accessible way to own one of his works. Bonus: it is nicely framed!
Lot 76: Catherine Widgery, Businessman with Attaché Case painted aluminum Estimate: $1,500-2,000 Lot 81: Catherine Widgery, Woman with Baby Carriage painted aluminum Estimate: $1,500-2,000
Two aluminum maquettes for Catherine Widgery’s art installation “City People” are being offered in the Three Dimensions sale. Located on Front Street across from Toronto’s Union Station since 1989, “City People” consists of various pedestrian figures made of painted aluminum – some are stationary and mounted on the wall, while many are mounted on pedestals. Businessman with Attaché Case and Woman with Baby Carriage are a fun opportunity to own a piece of Widgery’s process in creating the famous art installation.
Lot 14: W.E. Atkinson, Shades of Evening oil on canvas, 20 x 16 ins Estimate: $1,500-2,000
Dans mon blog précédent, j’ai mentionné à quel point j’aime les ventes aux enchères, car elles nous exposent à un large éventail d’art, nous faisant envisager certaines œuvres d’art que nous n’aurions pas recherchées autrement. Par exemple, je suis généralement attirée par l’art abstrait parce que je l’ai étudié à l’université et parce qu’il est moderne et souvent coloré. Si je cherchais à acheter de l’art dans une galerie, je chercherais probablement une exposition d’art moderne. Cela étant dit, les œuvres qui me frappent le plus dans les ventes de ce mois-ci seraient considérées comme assez traditionnelles : Sketch for « Spring »de George Reid et Shades of Evening de William Edwin Atkinson. Ils sont à la fois doux et romantiques, avec une qualité très impressionniste. Cela démontre que les enchères peuvent nous ouvrir les yeux à de nouvelles choses – elles nous donnent l’occasion d’être surpris !
Lot 58: Manly MacDonald, Baker House Close, Edinburgh etching, 10.25 x 8 ins Estimate $250-350
Les eaux-fortes sont un beau type de gravure qui requièrent une technique impressionnante et minutieuse. L’image est d’abord gravée à la main dans une plaque de cuivre, puis immergée dans de l’acide, ensuite passée dans une presse à imprimer. Le processus nécessite une attention au détail pointue et ne permet aucune marge d’erreur, ce qui me mène à penser que les eaux-fortes méritent plus d’attention qu’elles n’en reçoivent habituellement. L’œuvre de Manly MacDonald, Baker House Close, Edinburgh est une représentation charmante et délicate d’une scène de rue écossaise, avec une estimation de seulement 250 à 350 $.
Lot 104: Marion Post Wolcott Jitterbugging on a Saturday Night in Juke Joint near Clarksdale, MI, 1939 gelatin print, 10 x 8.75 ins Estimate: $1,000-1,500
Marion Post Wolcott était une photographe américaine de renom, surtout connue pour avoir documenté la pauvreté et les privations aux États-Unis pendant la Grande Dépression. Ses photographies font partie des collections de musées tels que le Smithsonian et le Metropolitan Museum of Art. Il est excitant de voir l’une des photographies historiques de Wolcott de 1939 proposée dans la vente aux enchères d’oeuvres sur papier et gravures : lot 104, Jitterbugging on a Saturday Night in Juke Joint near Clarksdale, MI, 1939.
Lot 153: Harold Town, Stretch Blue on Grey serigraph, 40 x 28.5 ins Estimate: $300-400
Stretch Blue on Grey de Harold Town est une œuvre d’art fantastique. Les bandes bleues allongées sont amusantes et ajouteraient la touche parfaite de couleur à une pièce. Ayant été complétée en 1971, elle porte l’esthétique « mod » des années 60/70, mais elle pourrait aussi passer pour une œuvre contemporaine. Avec une estimation de seulement 300-400 $, c’est vraiment une belle opportunité !
Lot 168: Ivan Eyre, Echo etching, 10 x 13 ins Estimate: $300-400
Echo par Ivan Eyre est un autre exemple de la technique d’eau-forte, ainsi qu’un exemple de l’accessibilité des gravures de l’artiste comparativement à ses peintures à l’huile. Eyre est un artiste contemporain dont le travail est en demande au niveau des galeries et des enchères. La peinture d’acrylique d’Eyre, Amber Pass, figurait dans la vente aux enchères en salle de Cowley Abbott en juin 2021, avec une estimation de 80 000 à 120 000 $, et l’œuvre s’est vendue bien au-dessus de l’estimation, pour 228 000 $. Les tirages de l’artiste, comme Echo, estimé entre 300 et 400 $, sont évidemment un moyen beaucoup plus accessible de posséder une de ses œuvres. Bonus : c’est joliment cadré !
Lot 76: Catherine Widgery, Businessman with Attaché Case painted aluminum Estimate: $1,500-2,000 Lot 81: Catherine Widgery, Woman with Baby Carriage painted aluminum Estimate: $1,500-2,000
Deux maquettes en aluminium pour l’installation artistique « City People » de Catherine Widgery sont proposées dans la vente Trois Dimensions. Situé sur la rue Front en face de la gare Union à Toronto depuis 1989, « City People » est composé de diverses figures de piétons en aluminium peint – certaines sont fixées au mur, tandis que d’autres sont montées sur des piédestaux. Businessman with Attaché Case et Woman with Baby Carriage présentent des occasions amusantes de posséder un morceau du processus de Widgery dans la création de la célèbre installation artistique.
Je vous invite à parcourir les trois sessions d’enchères de février. N’hésitez pas à nous contacter pour toute information complémentaire à info@cowleyabbott.ca. Les enchères se terminent le 1er mars 2022.
In the spirit of Valentine’s
Day, Cowley Abbott profiles a selection of some of our favourite artist
couples. These artists shared a personal chemistry which helped form the
background of their lifelong artistic pursuits.
Painter Rita Letendre met
Kosso Eloul while travelling in Italy in 1962. The couple married two years
later, moving between Los Angeles and New York before settling together in
Toronto in 1969. The two shared many fundamental artistic ideas, and their
respective predilection for geometric abstraction both contrasts and
compliments the other in interesting ways.
When Paterson Ewen met
Françoise Sullivan in 1949, their relationship formed the basis of a fruitful
creative exchange. Sullivan was a member of the influential group Les
Automatistes, and introduced Ewen to an entirely new milieu. Ewen’s
artistic development was deeply impacted by the Quebec group’s experimental
abstraction.
Paterson Ewen, Untitled Price Realized: $20,400Joan Mitchell and Jean Paul Riopelle in Chicago, about 1957 Photo Credit: Anonymous Photographer; Yseult Riopelle Archives https://ago.ca/events/joan-mitchell-and-jean-paul-riopelle-creativity-and-collaboration
Over the course of a
24-year relationship, Joan Mitchell and Jean Paul Riopelle lived and painted
together. The two influential painters sustained a rich exchange of creative
ideas, sharing their deep commitment to their art. As documented in the Art
Gallery of Ontario’s 2018 exhibition Mitchell/Riopelle: Nothing in Moderation,
similar formal and intellectual concerns become clear when viewing the work
of both artists side by side.
Jean Paul Riopelle, Sans titre (circa 1959) Price Realized: $504,000Josef and Anni Albers Photo Credit: The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, https://albersfoundation.org/artists/biographies/
Among the most notable
artist couples of the 20th century are Josef and Anni Albers. The two met in
1922 during the heyday of the Bauhaus art and design school in Weimar, Germany.
In 1925, they married in Berlin. Following the closure of the school in 1933,
the couple fled Nazi rule and resumed their careers at the Black Mountain
College in North Carolina. The Albers’ extraordinary union fueled
one another’s creativity,
each developing into leading figures of twentieth-century modernism. Josef and
Anni Albers were married for 51 years.
Josef Albers, I-S f (Danilowitz 195) Price Realized: $10,320
Romantic partnerships can
form the basis of a dynamic, fruitful exchange of ideas, artistic concerns and
formal practices. Cowley Abbott invites you to watch for the works of these art
power-couples, along with many more, featured in our upcoming auctions.
Peter
is our western Canada representative, offering services related to private sales of
fine Canadian artwork. Prior
to establishing Ohler’s Fine Art in 2018, Peter’s career began in 1980 at
Masters Gallery in Calgary. His role in the Canadian art world has
certainly evolved since then, having handled many, many works of art and
carving a distinctive role for himself within the industry. In 2022, Ohler’s Fine Art was acquired by Cowley
Abbott with Peter joining the firm as the company’s Western Canada
Representative, continuing his work in private sales while pursuing artwork for
inclusion in Cowley Abbott’s live and online auctions. Peter continues to
advise clients who wish to buy or sell art, providing expert evaluation and
advisory services through this new venture with Cowley Abbott. Peter recently came to Toronto for a brief visit and we were
able to pick his brain on a few things!
Peter,
you are a new member of the Cowley Abbott team and we are delighted to have you
join the ranks! You reside in Calgary, your hometown, and act as our western
Canada representative – a very exciting development for the firm as we begin to
represent the country from coast to coast! Can you share a bit about your role
at the auction house and what services you are providing for western Canada?
So
far, I’ve done lots of shipping for you. You seem to be landing some great
pieces for your upcoming auctions. It makes sense that your western clients
would want to send their fine art east where the market seems to be stronger.
This is not a surprising development but a big change for me as I have spent
most of my career sourcing things in the east to sell to clients out west.
While I will continue my work as a private dealer, I will also assist Cowley Abbott any way I can. Primarily working to secure consignments for your exciting online or live sales. I happen to know where a lot of great art is hanging.
It
is evident that you enjoy handling works by artists that involve research
and mining for information. In that vein, do you have a favourite artist,
period or movement? Perhaps there is an artwork or artist that has had a major
influence on you?
I’m old school so the Group of Seven is still where it’s at for
me. The first Canadian art book I read was Russell Harper’s Painting in Canada.
The stories of the early group members canoeing and painting in northern
Ontario were captivating. Of the group JEH MacDonald has always been my
favorite. Man could he paint. If I only end up with one picture at the end of
all this, I would like to own a great MacDonald Algoma oil sketch. I’ve had a
couple recently but of course I sold them.
If you wish to discuss acquiring or selling an artwork
privately contact Peter at peter@cowleyabbott.cato discuss how we
can provide this fast, confidential and stress-free service. We will also buy
artworks if you would like a quick sale.
Katherine
is our Montreal Representative with nine years of experience in the Canadian
auction industry. Together with her academic background in art history, she has
developed a specialty in the Canadian post-war abstract art movements. She is
passionate about writing – on topics of fine art, art collecting, and the
auction world.
Katherine, you have been a
member of the Cowley Abbott team since 2016 and your role has greatly evolved
over the last few years. You now reside in Montreal, your hometown, and act as
our Montreal representative – a very exciting development for the firm as we
begin to represent the country from coast to coast! Can you share how your role
at the auction house has advanced and what services you now provide for the
province of Quebec?
I
started working at the Cowley Abbott Toronto gallery in 2016 in a Client
Services position, and then became a Canadian Art Specialist in 2018. In 2020,
during my maternity leave, I moved to Montreal and returned to Cowley Abbott as
the Montreal Representative. My current role involves many of the same aspects
as when I lived in Toronto, such as online valuation inquiries and writing for
the auction catalogues, but I am also excited to now offer a face-to-face and
bilingual service in Montreal and its surrounding areas. I meet with clients in
person to view and pick up artworks, and I organize regular shipments to
Toronto for a hassle-free consignment process. I have to say though, I do miss
Toronto and seeing the Cowley Abbott team in person on a regular basis, and I
am really looking forward to more trips back to the city in this upcoming year!
As a lover of art, you have
always promoted collecting art at auction and we know that you wish to
encourage younger audiences to become active in the auction world. Can you tell
us a little bit about why this topic interests you? You have started a new blog
on art collecting at CowleyAbbott.ca. We can’t wait to read the next
instalment!
I
am an art historian and art lover, though I feel very strongly that art can be
appreciated at many levels and price ranges. Of course, I swoon over the
enormous Riopelle and Borduas paintings at museums, but I also get excited
about a $300 etching that can bring colour or charm or mood to your own walls
at home. There has been a recent resurgence of interest among young people in
home decor that is unique, vintage and sustainable, rather than what you’d find
at a big box store. I think this trend is also carrying over into art
collecting, and online auctions are the perfect fit for this audience, being a
platform for finding original and quality artworks at a wide price range. My
blog aims to dispel some misconceptions about the auction world and make it
approachable to new collectors. So stay tuned!
If you are interested in offering artwork by one of the artists listed in our directory (or other possible artists), please submit details of your artwork or Contact Us for further assistance.
