Million-Dollar Online Auction of Canadian Art Caps Off Heffel's Successful Fall 2012 Auction Season
- Heffel's November online auction of Canadian art achieved $1,047,267* in sales with a success rate of 82 per cent by lot
- The online auction had strong showings for A.Y. Jackson, Marc-Aurèle Fortin and William Kurelek, among others
- Heffel's combined fall 2012 total for live and online auctions is $12,566,557
- Heffel is currently showing a selling exhibition of select Canadian art featuring Tom Thomson, William Kurelek, Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun and others. The exhibition opened on Saturday, December 1, 2012.
TORONTO, Dec. 4, 2012 /CNW/ - Heffel Fine Art Auction House is thrilled to announce that the November 2012 online sale of Canadian art has totalled $1,047,267 with a success rate of 82 per cent. The auction took place at Heffel.com and closed on Thursday, November 29, after sessions were extended into overtime (as per online regulations) due to the spirited online bidding of both Canadian and international collectors.
"We recorded over a thousand bids, among the highest ever for our online auctions. This is not only a testament to the growing interest in Canadian art but also the confidence of art enthusiasts to purchase major works online," explains David K.J. Heffel, president of Heffel Fine Art Auction House. "We reach a global audience who can easily participate by logging on at home, at the office or on the go via their mobile phone."
The highest price of the sale was achieved for the A.Y. Jackson sketch St-Tite-des-Caps, which sold for $55,575 (estimate $25,000 - $35,000), followed by Marc-Aurèle Fortin's Paysage à Sainte-Rose which sold for $43,875 (estimate $30,000 - $40,000). William Kurelek is having a banner year and after a record-breaking sale in Heffel's live auction, the interest continued. Next Shelter Two Miles, which was estimated to sell between $12,000 - $15,000, sold for a remarkable $40,950. Works from Sybil Andrew's 12 Stations of the Cross series (seven in total) sold for a combined total of $34,515. In particular, Surrexit broke a record for this print, achieving $8,775. The online auction also set a record for Anne Meredith Barry, after Iceberg and Growlers off Witless Bay Beach sold for $7,020, significantly higher than the estimate ($2,000 - $3,000).
In 1999, Heffel was the first Canadian auction house to offer online auctions and also holds the record for highest grossing online auction of Canadian works ($2.4M in 2007). Today, Heffel curates monthly specialty online sales that range from Contemporary and Emerging Art in March and September to International Pop Art in April and October. Bids for Heffel auctions are recorded from every corner of Canada, as well as every continent around the globe.
Heffel's Fall 2012 Season
The November 2012 online auction closes a very successful season for Heffel Fine Auction House, following two consecutive live auctions held in Toronto on November 22nd and totalling $11,509,290. The Post-War and Contemporary Sale included records for William Kurelek, Takao Tanabe and Jack Shadboldt and grossed a total of $3,686,670 (selling 85 per cent by lot). The Fine Canadian Art Auction totalled by $7,822,620 (selling 89 per cent by lot) and included Lawren Harris's Hurdy Gurdy, which sold for $1,082,250, as well as series of works by Emily Carr which totaled $2,180,000.
Since 2004, Heffel has been responsible for 60 per cent of the overall Canadian auction market, both live and online. Heffel also holds all 14 spots in the top-14 grossing live auctions of Canadian art.
Heffel Introduces The Selling Exhibition
From December 1st to December 15th, Heffel has curated a selling exhibition of select Canadian art which is displayed at Heffel Galleries in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Open to the public, the exhibition is led by the spectacular oil on board Spring Break-Up by Tom Thomson. Other works include important pieces by William Kurelek, E.J Hughes, Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, Jack Leonard Shadbolt and others. The catalogue can be viewed by clicking this link.
About Heffel Fine Art Auction House
Heffel has sold more Canadian art than any other auctioneer worldwide, with over $325 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 auction's live multi-camera webcast and final sale results.
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*All estimates are in Canadian Dollars and include buyer's premium
SOURCE: Heffel Gallery Limited
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David Heffel / Robert Heffel
Heffel Fine Art Auction House
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