Image: Waddington's, Ontario
Waddington’s ‘Discovery Art’ auction is on public view at the auction house’s Toronto gallery from August 30 through September 1, offering 248 lots spanning paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures and mixed-media works. Online bidding is scheduled to begin closing on September 3 at 2 p.m. ET, with the sale presented alongside three other auctions in Waddington’s current programme.
The Discovery Art catalogue brings together a broad selection of Canadian artists and works offered at accessible estimates. Listed artists include Hortense Gordon, F.M. Bell-Smith, Arthur Lismer, Joachim Gauthier, Philip Craig, Bruno Bobak, James Henderson, Leonard Brooks, Ronald York Wilson, Nori Peter, Hagop Khoubesserian, Andrew Posa, Florence Vale, William Topham, Michael Ouzikov, Alberto de Castro, Willard M. Mitchell, Fred H. Brigden, Bruce Le Dain, Léo Ayotte, Roland Gissing and Marthe Rakine, among others.
The sale’s opening lots are devoted to a group of works by Willard Morse Mitchell (Canadian, 1879–1955). The subjects range across Canadian and Quebec landscapes and landmarks, including ‘Evangeline’s Well in Beautiful Grand Pre, Nova Scotia,’ ‘The Two Old Stone Towers on Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, P.Q.,’ ‘The Interior of Old Fort Chambly, P.Q. on the Richelieu River’ and winter scenes in Montreal, St. Jovite and the Laurentian Mountains. The Mitchell works shown in the catalogue carry estimates of $200 to $250 each.
Other early catalogue entries include Patrick Staheli’s ‘An Hour to Go,’ estimated at $80 to $100; Robert James Callaghan’s ‘Riverdale Yesterdays,’ estimated at $120 to $150; and Alex Korenfeld’s ‘Untitled (Still Life),’ estimated at $120 to $150. Nori Peter’s ‘Untitled (Young Girl; Young Boy with Husky Pup)’ is estimated at $150 to $200, while Galyna ‘Galli’ Konstantynivska’s ‘August’ carries an estimate of $100 to $125.
The catalogue also includes Mary Anne Ludlam’s ‘A Long Reach,’ June Olson’s ‘Untitled (Spring Thaw),’ Elisabeth Roberta ‘Betty’ Galbraith-Cornell’s ‘Metis Light’ and John Oliver’s ‘Algonquin Park.’ Their listed estimates range from $100 to $200. Among the named artists with works in the auction, the catalogue identifies Alberto de Castro as Canadian, 1952–1995; Roland Gissing as Canadian, 1895–1967; and Harry Niilo Grunsten as Finnish/Canadian, 1902–? His work ‘Fantasy’ is highlighted in Waddington’s preview material alongside Gissing’s ‘Autumn – Ghost River’ and de Castro’s ‘Jack Fishing Expedition.’
Waddington’s identifies Discovery Art as one of its specialist auction departments, alongside Canadian Fine Art, International Art, Inuit, First Nations & Métis Art, Asian Art and Decorative Arts & Design. The Toronto preview takes place at 100 Broadview Avenue on Sunday, August 30, from noon to 4 p.m., and on Monday, August 31, and Tuesday, September 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; appointments are also available. Bidding is conducted online, and registration is required before the September 3 closing.
