Heffel has released its roster of 135 works for their November 21st sales in Toronto. The pre-sale estimate is C$15-20m which puts the sale in line with recent years strong results. Much of the rise in Heffel’s sales volume has come from the rising value of Canadian artists on the international market. Painters like Jean-Paul Riopelle, Lawren Harris and Jack Hamilton Bush have become sought after in many different geographical markets. Heffel also has some international artists like Botero and Karel Appel in these sales.

Here are Heffel’s publicity points for the sale:

• Jean Paul Riopelle leads the auction with Jouet, a 1953 drip canvas that has traveled the world throughout its lifetime (est. $1,200,000 – 1,600,000). Riopelle is shining bright in the art world with the show Mitchell/Riopelle: Nothing in Moderation, at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and the Art Gallery of Ontario, soon to make its third stop at Fonds Hélène et Édouard Leclerc pour la culture in France.
• E.J. Hughes’s Fishboats, Rivers Inlet was first sold by Heffel in 2004 and the artist himself was patched in to the saleroom to share in the record-breaking moment. The 1949 post-war masterwork was painted upon Hughes’s honourable discharge as an official war artist (est. $900,000 – 1,200,000).
• Two magnificent examples by Jean Paul Lemieux highlight the fall offering, including Jeune fille en uniforme, the 1957 single figure canvas consigned by the Alma Mater Society of the University of British Columbia (est. $300,000 – 500,000) and the large-scale masterpieceLes citadens (est. $900,000 – 1,200,000).
• Works by members of the Group of Seven feature prominently, led by Arthur Lismer’s extraordinary Tugs and Troop Carrier, Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia (est. $700,000 – 900,000). Other major artworks include The Village Mill, by A.J. Casson (est. $300,000 – 500,000) and November, Georgian Bay, by A.Y. Jackson (est. $400,000 – 600,000).
• A Canadian historic treasure, Sir Frederick Banting’s The Lab is the only known painting to depict the very room where he and Charles Best made their life-saving discovery of insulin (est. $20,000 – 30,000). The Buyer’s Premium for this work will be donated to the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre at the University of Toronto.
• Globally renowned Colombian painter Fernando Botero stands out in the auction with three major canvases: Femme debout (est. $500,000 – 700,000), Toro (est. $450,000 – 650,000) and Seated Man (est. $400,000 – 600,000).
• Six noteworthy paintings by Lawren Harris span his most sought-after subject matters. Leading the pack by estimate is the glowing work from the Group of Seven period Mountain Sketch XC (est. $700,000 – 900,000).
• Jack Bush, whose work shattered the artist record at Heffel’s May auction, is sure to attract international interest this fall with four impressive canvases. Not to be missed are the vibrant and colourful Down and Across (est. $250,000 – 350,000) and So (est. $150,000 – 250,000).
• Internationally collected Alex Colville shines with two exciting works, both of which have been exhibited in important museums. Two Boys Playing, a classic 1950s Colville, will undoubtedly draw interest from collectors, institutions and aficionados worldwide (est. $600,000 – 800,000).
• Particularly poignant are two charming paintings by the talented Mary Pratt, who passed away earlier this year. Preserving Summer—Black Currant Jam (est. $30,000 – 40,000) and Buttered Roaster (est. $25,000 – 35,000) each showcase Pratt’s perpetual command of light.
• A remarkable find, Sybil Andrews’s Boats at Dock was picked up by its current owner at a BC thrift store. The rare canvas was purchased for a mere $69.95 less a 30% seniors’ discount (est. $20,000 – 30,000).
• Major canvases by Emily Carr are exceedingly rare to the market. Spring Wave (est. $300,000 – 500,000), a mature-period Carr landscape once owned by the artist’s publisher, and By the Canal, Crécy-en-Brie (est. $80,000 – 120,000), from a trip to France early in Carr’s career, each present exciting market opportunities.
• Two outstanding examples by CoBrA artists build out the international offering this season. A vibrant untitled painting by Karel Appel (est. $250,000 – 350,000) and Asger Jorn’s abstract canvas Rifki florblomster (est. $125,000 – 175,000) are sure to excite enthusiasts of the European avant-garde movement.

Heffel Fall 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, October 19 to Saturday, October 20, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., 888 4th Avenue SW, Unit 609
• Vancouver: Saturday, October 27 to Tuesday, October 30, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Heffel Gallery, 2247 Granville Street
• Montreal: Thursday, November 8 to Saturday, November 10, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Galerie Heffel, 1840 rue Sherbrooke Ouest
• Toronto: Saturday, November 17 to Tuesday, November 20, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Wednesday, November 21, 10 a.m. – noon, Design Exchange, Exhibition Hall, 234 Bay Street

The two-session live auction will take place on Wednesday, November 21 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