Monumental Borduas masterwork highlights Heffel 2018 Spring Auction

• Art market leader will offer 118 museum-quality works of art at a live auction in Toronto on May 30, 2018

• Internationally renowned post-war artist Paul-Émile Borduas leads the sale with a large-scale masterpiece canvas estimated to achieve $3M to $5M

• Other highlights include a rediscovered work by Tom Thomson, which, until now, was tucked away in an Alberta basement

TORONTO, May 1, 2018 /CNW/ – Market leader Heffel Fine Art Auction House is thrilled to celebrate an outstanding collection of rare-to-the-market works of art to be sold at its live auction this spring. More than 100 lots by renowned international artists are expected to achieve between $11 million and $17 million in the anticipated sale on May 30 at Toronto’s historic Design Exchange. (All prices are in Canadian dollars and are conservative estimates.)

Leading the spring auction by estimate is Figures schématiques, a 1956 masterpiece by Quebec Automatist painter Paul-Émile Borduas. The powerful canvas, painted in Paris during the artist’s Black and White period, is commanding in scale, standing more than four feet tall and six feet wide. Works by Borduas have been internationally collected and admired for decades, and this piece is no exception. Arguably the most acclaimed example from the artist’s catalogue raisonné, Figures schématiques was first purchased from the artist by the Martha Jackson Gallery in New York and has since been exhibited around the world.

“Working with and sharing this Borduas masterpiece has been an incredible experience,” said David Heffel, President of Heffel Fine Art Auction House. “Figures schématiques presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to collectors, and we are honoured to help this monumental work find its new home.”

Canada’s unwavering leadership in the global art market has made way for an important update to Heffel’s time-honoured Fine Canadian Art session. Now inclusive of international works and presented to an international audience this spring, the session has been aptly renamed Canadian, Impressionist & Modern Art. The catalogue contextualizes treasured Canadian artists whose work has been collected abroad in their lifetime, alongside famous artists from around the globe.

Highlights from the Heffel Spring 2018 Live Auction

• The historically important Figures schématiques, by Paul-Émile Borduas, has been featured in an impressive list of literature and exhibitions. The largest known canvas from Borduas’ Black and White series in private hands, this is an exceptionally rare market opportunity and will undoubtedly draw interest from collectors and aficionados worldwide (est. $3,000,000 – 5,000,000).
• A remarkable rediscovery, Tom Thomson’s Sketch for Lake in Algonquin Park had, until now, been tucked away in an Alberta basement. The rare work by the iconic artist, which set the groundwork for a major canvas in the National Gallery of Canada, is garnering a great deal of media attention (est. $125,000 – 175,000).
• An important portrait by Emily Carr of her Squamish First Nations friend Sophie Frank is included in the spring auction (est. $50,000 – 70,000). The two women shared a very special bond, and the portrait was featured as the frontispiece for Carr’s Klee Wyck, the famous book dedicated “To Sophie.”
• Highlighting the Post-War & Contemporary Art session are two large-scale canvases by internationally collected Jack Bush: the energetic and colourful Strawberry, and Narrow Image, a lively work from his Fishtail series (each est. $350,000 – 450,000).
• Eight lots by Lawren Harris are highlighted by the stunning Group of Seven period Mount Edith Cavell (est. $350,000 – 550,000) and Morning, Lake Superior (est. $100,000 – 150,000), the rare preparatory panel for a major canvas hanging in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
• Jean Paul Riopelle shines with two magnificent 1950s canvases, Composition rouge et noir and Sans titre (each est. $300,000 – 500,000). The internationally acclaimed contemporary artist is currently in the spotlight with the exhibition Mitchell/Riopelle: Nothing in Moderation at the Art Gallery of Ontario, which Heffel proudly supported.
• A rare, spiritual treasure, Bill Reid’s 22 karat gold necklace featuring the Dogfish Woman is sure to resonate with enthusiasts. The Haida artist had originally carved the pendant for his wife out of boxwood and later cast this extraordinary gold pendant (est. $225,000 – 275,000).
• Two quintessential Jean Paul Lemieux canvases are included in the sale, led by Le Cavalier dans la neige, a superb landscape known to be favoured by the artist himself (est. $700,000 – 900,000).
• David Milne, whose works are currently on view in an impressive exhibition at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London, England, is featured in the Canadian, Impressionist & Modern Art session with two watercolours.
• Two works will be offered from the estate of the late, distinguished Canadian philanthropist Liliane M. Stewart. Charrette embourbée, by the famed French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (est. $30,000 – 40,000) and La pluie sur la tonelle, by Raoul Dufy, stand out in the sale (est. $30,000 – 40,000).

Heffel Spring 2018 Live Auction Schedule

To give interested buyers from across Canada an opportunity to view these works, the collection will be previewed in four cities leading up to the live auction:

• Calgary: Friday, April 13 to Saturday, April 14, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., 888 4th Ave SW, Unit 609
• Vancouver: Saturday, May 5 to Tuesday, May 8, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Heffel Gallery, 2247 Granville Street
• Montreal: Thursday, May 17 to Saturday, May 19, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Galerie Heffel, 1840 rue Sherbrooke Ouest
• Toronto: Saturday, May 26 to Tuesday, May 29, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Wednesday, May 30, 10 a.m. – noon, Design Exchange, Exhibition Hall, 234 Bay Street

The two-session live auction will take place on Wednesday, May 30 at Design Exchange (The Historic Trading Floor, 234 Bay Street, Toronto):

• 4:00 p.m. EST — Post-War & Contemporary Art
• 7:00 p.m. EST — Canadian, Impressionist & Modern Art

For details on the previews and live 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

CONTACT: For additional information, to schedule an interview or media viewing, or for high-resolution images, please contact: Rebecca Rykiss, Heffel Fine Art Auction House, rebecca@heffel.com, 416-961-6505