Canadian artists boast another strong showing at Heffel's action-packed 2014 fall auction, achieving $12 million in sales

Historically significant masterworks by Lawren Harris, Jean Paul Riopelle, Emily Carr and Clarence Gagnon, generate exceptional sales, exceeding a majority of pre-auction estimates at the Toronto live auction

• With seven record-breaking sales, this year's live auction reached a total of $12 million, surpassing pre-sale expectations
• Houses on Gerrard Street by Group of Seven's Lawren Harris reached a staggering $1,121,000, more than doubling its high-end estimate
• Five works from Jean Paul Riopelle, including Ombrages and Sans titre – both of which significantly surpassed estimates – resulting in a combined total of $2,253,800 in sales

TORONTO, Nov. 27, 2014 /CNW/ - This evening Heffel Fine Art Auction House held its highly anticipated fall auction, celebrating the best in Canadian art at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Toronto. With 142 lots on offer and hundreds of buyers – either present at the hotel, watching live online or bidding by phone – the evening achieved an impressive total of $12 million in sales (all prices are in Canadian dollars and include an 18 per cent buyer's premium).

Kicking off the evening was Study for Snowplow by Alex Colville, which garnered $47,200, setting an auction record for a Colville work on paper. Things continued to heat up with William Kurelek's Retired Sea Captain in Newfoundland, which sold well above its estimate of $40,000 - $60,000, reaching $100,300. But the standout piece tonight was undeniably by the Group of Seven artist Lawren Harris, Houses on Gerrard Street drew significant attention from buyers and sparked a bidding war with the final of sale price for this masterwork reaching a remarkable $1,121,000. Originally expected to achieve between $350,000 - $450,000, the piece sold far beyond its estimated value.

"This season's auction featured key pieces of original Canadian art and reflected the strength of our country's art market," said David K.J. Heffel, president of Heffel Fine Art Auction House. "We had record attendance at the three-city previews and again tonight with a packed ballroom for both sales, which is a testament to the passion collectors have for Canadian art."

Tonight's results further cement Heffel's position as the leader in the Canadian art auction market.  

Highlights from this year's fall auction include:

• With a staggering sale of $1,121,000, Houses on Gerrard Street by Group of Seven's Lawren Harris sold well beyond its pre-sale estimate of $350,000 - $450,000
• A fan-favourite, Jean Paul Riopelle's Ombrages, the first of five of his works at auction, surpassed its pre-auction estimate with a sale of $1,003,000, while Sans titre and Respir d'avril achieved sales of $442,500 and $306,800 respectively, both surpassing estimates
• Setting a new world record for a Ivan Kenneth Eyre piece at auction, Uplands sold for $318,600, far exceeding the estimate of $40,000 - $60,000
• James Wilson Morrice's stunning Study for Regatta, Saint-Malo achieved a record for a sketch at $236,000
• Canadian treasure William Kurelek's whimsical A Real Big One reached an impressive $153,400, more than doubling its estimate of $40,000 - $60,000, while Retired Sea Captain in Newfoundland caused a bidding war and ultimately sold for $100,300 (est. $40,000 - $60,000)
• Paul Peel's poignant Goodbye more than doubled its estimate, selling for an outstanding $112,100 (est. $35,000 - $50,000)
• Sold for an artist record of $44,250, Jacques Hurtubise's Pigritte nearly tripled its pre-auction estimate
• John Hartman's painting Keels, set an artist record at $15,340

Having sold more than $384 million in Canadian art, and with a recent office opening in Calgary this fall, Heffel's expanded representation across the country solidifies their position as Canada's national auction house. As the first auction house in Canada to split historical and contemporary Canadian art into separate sales, it remains the only house to produce separate detailed catalogues for each session; Canadian Post-War & Contemporary Art and Fine Canadian Art. This year's contemporary session reached more than $5.8 million in sales and the fine art session totaled at $6.2 million. The success rate of 90 per cent exceeded the industry standard.

For more information on the pieces and artists included in this year's fall auction visit www.heffel.com.

About Heffel Fine Art Auction House 
Heffel has sold more Canadian art than any other auctioneer worldwide, with over $384 million in art auction sales since 1995, and has conducted the most valuable live auctions of Canadian art. Heffel is led by the most experienced team of fine art specialists in Canada who enjoy providing transparent expert service because they believe that art inspires the human spirit.  With offices and representatives in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Calgary, Heffel provides superior client services to both sellers and buyers nationwide. In addition to full-colour printed catalogues, Heffel publishes its entire live auction online at www.heffel.com from initial promotion and illustrated lot listings, to the final sale results.

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Image with caption: "Houses on Gerrard Street by Group of Seven’s Lawren Harris was tonight’s top lot, earning $1.12 million and tripling its pre-sale low estimate of $350,000. (CNW Group/Heffel Fine Art Auction House (CNW Group/Heffel Fine Art Auction House)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141127_C7603_PHOTO_EN_8692.jpg

SOURCE: Heffel Fine Art Auction House

Media contact: For more information, to schedule an interview or media viewing, or for high-resolution images, please contact: Alison Crocker, NATIONAL Public Relations, 416-848-1624, [email protected]; David Heffel / Robert Heffel?, Heffel Fine Art Auction House, 604-418-6505 / 604-418-0100, [email protected] /[email protected]