TORONTO — A mature-period painting by Emily Carr and a Canadiana canvas by Paul Kane each fetched more than $3 million at the Heffel Fine Art Auction House fall sale.
Carr's 1931 seaside forest scene "Cordova Drift" hammered down for nearly $3.4 million, above a presale estimate of between $2 million and $3 million.
The B.C. painter's 1912 oil-on-board "Maude Island Totem" sold for $841,250, while her circa 1935 forest landscape "Music in the Trees" drew $301,250.
Kane's circa 1855 canvas "Assiniboine Hunting Buffalo" went for more than $3.2 million, in line with Heffel's presale estimate of between $2.5 million and $3.5 million for the rare and historically significant work.
A total of 80 works were on offer at Heffel's digital fall sale, which was streamed from Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver on Wednesday evening. Buyers placed bids online, by phone or in absentia.
Heffel says the lineup netted a total of $21 million. All estimates include auction house fees on top of the hammer price.
Other highlights include Alex Colville's 1981 acrylic "Night Walk," which drew $901,250, outperforming its presale estimate of $400,000 to $600,000.
Members of the Group of Seven also had a strong showing. Lawren Harris's monochromatic "From Sentinel Pass Above Moraine Lake, Rocky Mts.," consigned by the artist's family, sold for $691,250.
Competitive bidding drove up the price of A.J Casson's "Pic Island, Lake Superior" to $481,250, roughly 10 times its presale estimate of $40,000 to $60,000.
Meanwhile, a set of 20 porcelain plates hand-painted by Cornelius Krieghoff in the 1800s netted $85,250.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2021.
Adina Bresge, The Canadian Press
