Heffel is holding its Spring sale of Canadian art in Vancouver on May 25 with an overall estimate of 9 to 12m CAD. This season’s sale continues to benefit from the eye-opening Steve Martin-curated show of Lawren Harris’s work that was at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles and now on display in Boston.

Heffel’s sale has three works by Harris and five works by the other currently hot international name among Canadian artists, Emily Carr. Of course, there are many more artists among the 144 lots in the sale, including these highlighted by Heffel in their press materials:

• Lawren Harris’s Laurentian Landscape is a unique work from a pivotal point in history, when seeds were being planted to form what would soon after be known as the Group of Seven. The impressionistic painting was acquired by the current owner in 1966 for a mere $8,400 and has never before been offered at auction (est. $1,200,000 – 1,600,000).
• Two highly collectible Lawren Harris oil on boards from the Group of Seven period are also featured. Both stunning works, Coldwell, Lake Superior, Lake Superior Sketch XXII (est. $450,000 – 550,000) and Mount Sampson, Maligne Lake (est. $250,000 – 300,000) explore the measureless Canadian landscapes that Harris encountered during his painting expeditions.
• Emily Carr’s deep-rooted belief in the spirituality of the woods is present in the five works on offer, including the dynamic masterwork canvas Shoreline (est. $600,000 – 800,000). Also featured is the extraordinary watercolour Gitwangak, displaying the strong First Nations motifs typical of Carr’s most notable works (est. $200,000 – 300,000).
• The spring auction features noteworthy works by all original members of the Group of Seven, including A.Y. Jackson’s quintessential snow scene oil on canvas Farm at St. Tite des Caps (est. $300,000 – 500,000).
• Heffel is honoured to be entrusted with the sale of La vieille église de Sherbrooke Est par temps de neige by Marc-Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Coté, consigned by the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church in Sherbrooke. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the fundraising campaign for the restoration and renovation of the church (est. $100,000 – 150,000).

Heffel’s Post-War & Contemporary Art highlights:

• Leading the session by estimate is The Post Office at Courtenay, BC, an exceptional work painted by E.J. Hughes upon his honourable discharge as an official war artist. Using supplies remaining from his service—unusual for a young artist at the time—he painted this impressive work over three years, according to his inscriptions found on the back of the painting (est. $600,000 – 800,000).
• Like many works by realist painter Alex Colville, the two paintings on offer in this season’s live auction reflect the artist’s personal life. Racer, Colville’s first round work from his prolific mid-’50s period, is a portrait of a race car driver inspired by a photograph of his father-in-law (est. $500,000 – 600,000).Swimming Dog and Canoe, peaceful and balanced yet perfectly rendered, shows the artist along with his wife and their dog on a typical canoeing outing (est. $300,000 – 500,000).
• A leader in contemporary Indian art, Sayed Haider Raza is featured with Costapoglia II, a highly coloured yet dreamlike canvas that is both mysterious and evocative. Raza is a truly global artist, and his work has been seen and admired in many corners of the globe (est. $200,000 – 300,000).
• Jean Paul Riopelle’s 1955 Composition is an impressive selection from his most celebrated decade. The dynamic canvas was exhibited at the National Gallery of Canada and circulated to 10 American museums by the Smithsonian Institution (est. $400,000 – 600,000).
• West Coast art enthusiasts will be pleased with the representation of work from the region, including paintings by Gordon Smith, Jack Shadbolt, Takao Tanabe and W.P. Weston, among others.
• Many of Quebec’s most important post-war and contemporary artists are featured prominently. Guido Molinari stands out with two works on offer, including the bold Sans titre (est. $100,000 – 150,000), alongside three works by Jean Paul Lemieux, led by the beautiful night sky canvas, L’énigme (est. $300,000 – 400,000).