Heffel’s May 17th sale of Canadian art made $14.6 million, well beyond the $9 to $12 million presale estimate.

• Jean Paul Lemieux,  La plage américaine, a painting which travelled around the globe with Lemieux, exceeded pre-sale estimates and sold for $1.8 million. The total for all Lemieux’s in tonight’s sale was $2.5 million, including Le mois de juin, for $380,250 and Monseigneur for $163,800.
• Lawren Harris’ famous oil, Lake Superior selling for $526,500 and Building the Ice House: Hamilton for $380,250.
• James Edward Hervey (J.E.H.) MacDonald, another member of the Group of Seven, also took the spotlight at the auction with Early Autumn, Montreal River, Algoma (Estimate: $80,000 to $100,000) which sold for $526,500
• Emily Carr’s Eagle Totem, sold for $1.6 million. This mature period oil on canvas displaying First Nations subject matter was expected to sell for $600,000 – $800,000. Carr’s other works up for sale including War Canoes, Alert Bay, her seven pieces sold for a total of $2.8 million.
• E.J. Hughes’ Englewood that was accompanied with a personalized letter from the artist. Hughes’ piece sold for $292,500, in good company alongside Receding Tide, Departure Bay which sold for $210,600 and The Nanaimo Bastion, for $257,400.
• William Kurelek’s After the Big Blow, a charming work portraying children having fun in the snow, sold at the Heffel Spring Auction for $76,050, far exceeding the estimate (Estimate: $12,000 – $15,000).