Collectors bid from home at Heffel auction, boosting market for Riopelle, Colville and Morrice

• More than 100 artworks were presented to a remote audience at Heffel's fall live auction, broadcast live online
• Digital Saleroom saw participation from bidders around the world, who joined the sale from the comfort of their homes
• Highlights included major artworks by Jean Paul Riopelle, James Wilson Morrice and Alex Colville

TORONTO, Dec. 2, 2020 /CNW/ - Today, to a global, virtual audience, Heffel Fine Art Auction House presented more than 100 museum-quality artworks at its semi-annual live auction. Collectors experienced the excitement of the live-streamed sale from the comfort and safety of their homes, and participated through Heffel's newly expanded Digital Saleroom. Masterworks by international giants like Jean Paul Riopelle, James Wilson Morrice and Alex Colville led the auction, and each found new homes with passionate collectors. Overall, the auction totaled an impressive sum of $15 million. (All prices are in Canadian dollars and include a buyer's premium.)

"We are honoured to have spent time with these exceptional works of art, and to have placed them in growing collections, built on passion," said Robert Heffel, Vice-President of Heffel Fine Art Auction House. "As the art world advances at such a rapid pace, we are thrilled that collectors are leveraging Heffel's new tools, including our Digital Saleroom and interactive experiences."

Highlights from the Fall 2020 Live Auction

Jean Paul Riopelle performed very well in Heffel's auction. The spectacular, 1953 Sans titre sold for $1,441,250 (est. $1,200,000 – 1,800,000) and La ligne d'eau, a commanding largescale canvas from the artist's Iceberg series, sold for $1,261,250 (est. $800,000 – 1,200,000).
• La plage, a rare masterwork by James Wilson Morrice surpassed the million dollar mark and sold for $1,141,250 (est. $300,000 - 500,000). The Impressionist canvas was painted circa 1898 - 1899 and was included in two European shows at the time. Since then, its whereabouts were unknown, and this is the first time it has touched Canadian soil.
• Paintings by Alex Colville are exceedingly rare to the market, and desired by collectors around the world. His well-known and dramatic Woman with Revolver garnered an impressive sum of $841,250 (est. $600,000 – 800,000).
• Six standout examples spanning E.J. Hughes' important career were led by two 1950s paintings picturing the stunning port city of Nanaimo. Steamer Arriving at Nanaimo sold for $841,250 (est. $500,000 – 700,000) and Three Tugboats, Nanaimo Harbour sold for $601,250 (est. $200,000 – 300,000).
• Significant works by the renowned Group of Seven drew fierce bidding competition, as Canada celebrates the 100-year anniversary of the collective. Lawren Harris's quintessential Sand Lake, Algoma (Algoma Sketch CXVI) sold for $631,250 (est. $200,000 – 300,000), A.Y. Jackson's important Ontario Mining Town, Cobalt sold for $349,250 (est. $200,000 – 300,000) and Jackson's Winter Morning, Laurentians at St-Tite sold for $115,250 (est. $30,000 – 50,000).
• A number of vibrant and dynamic abstract paintings achieved strong results in the Post-War & Contemporary Art sale, including Kenneth Noland's Erin at $205,250 (est. $200,000 – 300,000), Guido Molinari's Sériel vert-violet at $277,250 (est. $200,000 – 300,000 and Jack Bush's Stumblin' All Around at $277,250 (est. $125,000 – 175,000).
• Emily Carr's magnificent South Bay, Skidegate saw many competing bids, and ultimately achieved a final sum of $811,250 (est. $300,000 – 400,000). Her 1939 work, June also outperformed its estimate and sold for $277,250 (est. $125,000 – 175,000).
• A new auction record was achieved for Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, prominent Canadian artist of Coast Salish and Okanagan descent. His symbolic and spiritual Untitled canvas more than doubled its estimate and sold for $55,250 (est. $20,000 – 30,000).

For a full list of results, and more information on the works included in Heffel's fall live auction, 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

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