Peter Clapham Sheppard: Chronicler of the Urban Environment

Cowley Abbott is delighted to be entrusted with a rare and masterful work by Peter Clapham Sheppard, The Bridge Builders, Construction, Bloor Street Viaduct, 1915. 

P.C. Sheppard was one of the first among Toronto’s early twentieth century modernists to record the urban experience during a period of dynamic growth and change. Such massive building projects proclaimed this city’s unstoppable industrial and technological age. Bridge Builders is an emblem of the aspirational spirit of a confident nation that will soon emerge from the crucible of war proud, independent, and with a new global identity. Sheppard is captivated by the movement, light, and activity of ports, railyards, markets, parades and the circus. The artist extols the humanity of the workers who laboured there, mostly new immigrants, whose toil wove together the rich multicultural fabric we enjoy in Toronto today.

Cowley Abbott is very proud to be entrusted with this painting, which makes its auction debut in our Spring Live Auction of Select Masterworks of Canadian and International Art on May 28th. 

VISIT THE AUCTION PREVIEW THIS WEEKEND

May 16th to May 28th

Monday to Friday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

Wednesday, May 28th: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Cowley Abbott Gallery 

326 Dundas St. W. Toronto M5T 1G5

SPRING LIVE AUCTION

Wednesday, May 28th at 7:00 pm EDT

The Globe & Mail Centre, 17th Floor

351 King Street East, Toronto

BROWSE AUCTION CATALOGUE

Cowley Abbott is excited to present an extraordinary collection of post-war & contemporary art in our upcoming live auction, “Select Masterworks of Canadian & International Art” set to take place on May 28th at the Globe & Mail Centre.

This event promises to be an exciting evening, showcasing artworks that have shaped the artistic landscape over the decades. Whether you’re an avid collector or a curious art enthusiast, this auction offers a unique opportunity to witness and acquire works that tell compelling stories of creativity and innovation.

Auction Preview

May 16th to 28th

Monday to Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Wednesday, May 28th: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Cowley Abbott

326 Dundas St. W. Toronto ON M5A 1G5

SPRING LIVE AUCTION

Wednesday, May 28th at 7:00 pm EDT

The Globe & Mail Centre, 17th Floor

351 King Street East, Toronto

BROWSE AUCTION CATALOGUE

Jack Bush: A Master of Colour

Cowley Abbott is delighted to be offering six significant artworks by the celebrated Canadian artist Jack Bush in our Spring Live Auction of Select Masterworks of Canadian and International Art on May 28th, spanning the painter’s storied career. A master of colour, Jack Bush said facing a large empty expanse of canvas was “the thrill of a lifetime” but added that the “toughest thing in the world, on that bare canvas, is to put the first colour on, the first mark.”

From our earliest sales, Cowley Abbott has been fortunate to regularly have been entrusted with rare and important artwork by Jack Bush, becoming a major player in the sale of the painter’s work over the past decade and establishing the global auction record for the artist.

We are pleased to feature a range of masterworks by the modern painter whose creative trajectory flowed from landscapes to abstraction, exemplified in the selection being presented for sale. We hope you will visit the Cowley Abbott gallery to stand in front of these commanding works during our preview starting on Friday, May 16th. 

Auction Preview

May 16th to 28th

Monday to Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Wednesday, May 28th: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Cowley Abbott

326 Dundas St. W. Toronto ON M5A 1G5

SPRING LIVE AUCTION

Wednesday, May 28th at 7:00 pm EDT

The Globe & Mail Centre, 17th Floor

351 King Street East, Toronto

BROWSE AUCTION CATALOGUE

The two watercolours in the May 28th live auction represent major subjects of Frances Anne Hopkins’s artistic oeuvre. 

Canoes in a Fog, Lake Superior, is one of several sketches that Hopkins made during her first trip on Lake Superior in July 1864 and formed the basis for the first painting by her to be accepted for exhibition at the Royal Academy in London in 1869 (now in the collection of the Glenbow Museum). Five sketches related to the painting are known to exist and Canoes in a Fog, Lake Superior, is believed to be the first large-scale work prepared. The hues in this watercolour are remarkably bright, and the detail is exquisite, recording the moment when canoeing transformed from being a means of travel and the transport of goods, into a leisure time pursuit.

Lumber Raft on the Ottawa, signed and dated 1886, represents another Canadian theme which Frances Anne Hopkins chose to represent on several occasions. Hopkins would have likely encountered such timber rafts during her journeys on the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. This watercolour shows one of the large timber rafts floating down the river, possibly on Lake of Two Mountains, and is more atmospheric than many of the other works of this subject, with the fog on the river and the cooking fires surrounded by the crewmen. It offers a romantic and enchanting insight into a particular aspect of nineteenth-century Canadian life.

Cowley Abbott is pleased to present these two masterworks for sale on May 28th in the live auction of Select Masterworks of Canadian & International Art. We hope that you will visit the auction preview at the gallery beginning Friday, May 16th to enjoy these rare works on paper by Frances Anne Hopkins.

TORONTO GALLERY PREVIEW DATES

May 16th to 28th

Monday to Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

May 28th: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Cowley Abbott

326 Dundas St. W. Toronto ON M5A 1G5

SPRING LIVE AUCTION

Wednesday, May 28th at 7:00 pm EDT

The Globe & Mail Centre, 17th Floor

351 King Street East, Toronto

BROWSE AUCTION CATALOGUE

Cowley Abbott’s Spring Live Auction will feature masterworks by artists crucial to the story of Canadian art. Depictions of the northern shores of Lake Superior by the founding members of the Group of Seven will take centre stage, reflecting their travels between 1921 and 1928. Over the course of these eight years, the work of the Group members was transformed by the stunning topography and impact of nature’s power at this remarkable junction of lake and land.

The Spring Live Auction will take place in Toronto on Wednesday, May 28th, and will include artwork by celebrated historical, post-war and contemporary artists. The live auction catalogue is now available online to browse.

TORONTO GALLERY PREVIEW DATES

May 16th to 28th

Monday to Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

May 28th: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Cowley Abbott

326 Dundas St. W. Toronto ON M5A 1G5

SPRING LIVE AUCTION

Wednesday, May 28th at 7:00 pm EDT

The Globe & Mail Centre, 17th Floor

351 King Street East, Toronto

BROWSE AUCTION CATALOGUE

Thursday, April 10 marked our first 5 à 7 event of the year and Cowley Abbott was delighted to host familiar friends and new collectors! The evening was highlighted with talks from Art Specialist Eryn Brobyn and Senior International and Canadian Specialist Perry Tung. Attendees had the opportunity to view current works up for our April online sale which includes items from the collection of Robert Noakes, Select Canadian artworks and the Art of Atlantic Canada; as well as preview artworks upcoming in our Spring Live Auction.

In our first main floor gallery, Art Specialist Eryn Brobyn spoke on the topic of provenance – the ownership history of a work of art. The group was able to see the back of an artwork with a rich provenance, evident through its artwork labels. Eryn emphasized the rich histories that can be revealed through provenance and the challenges faced in the art world of discovering provenance.

Senior International and Canadian Specialist, Perry Tung, presented on the session Past and Present: International Art from the Collection of Robert Noakes, showcasing artworks from the incredible collection of designer and avid collector Robert Noakes. Cowley Abbott is delighted to present four online auctions showcasing the breadth and depth of his collection, an opportunity not to be missed.

One of our guests, Ali Husnain, shared that “everyone was nice and welcoming and it was my first time at an event like this. There was a lot of variety in the artwork and I was especially drawn to William Kurelek, those paintings felt quintessentially Canadian!”

Thank you to all those who attended, we look forward to hosting more events this auction season. For more information on Cowley Abbott events browse our website and follow us on social media!

Rob Cowley visits CTV Vancouver to chat with Keri Adams about Cowley Abbott’s national valuation tour and the events being held in Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary and Edmonton.

Rob Cowley visited the BNN Bloomberg studio to chat with Paul Bagnell about the art market and Cowley Abbott’s recent cross country travel.