An Important Private Collection is among the best-known private assemblages of artwork in Canada. Meticulously collected and beloved by the family for over sixty years, the paintings and sculpture are rare and important examples by our country’s most celebrated historical artists, featuring masterpieces by Paul Kane, Cornelius Krieghoff, J.W. Morrice, each of the ten members of the Group of Seven, Clarence Gagnon, David Milne, and many, many others. The collection has been featured in major national and international exhibitions, as well as illustrated in textbooks. The artworks are highly coveted for their museum-quality and rarity within the auction market.

Cowley Abbott was privileged to be awarded the collection on consignment from the Toronto collectors during the summer of 2022, and our team immediately began work on a plan to effectively offer the 159 works of art across three live auction seasons, from Fall 2022 through the Fall 2023 season. The collection was divided across the three catalogue sales, and our firm employed leading Canadian art academics to tell the story of these incredible artworks, the great majority of which were appearing at auction for the first time. 

Cowley Abbott designed an extensive eighteen-month program of collector events, promotional materials, and media outreach that excited the Canadian auction and culture industries. With a strong focus upon the artwork itself, the series of sales was a celebration of Canadian art, our country’s history, and the collectors themselves, having selflessly shared their works of art to appear in books and exhibitions around the globe that focused upon the very best of Canada’s art. The sales captured the attention and excitement of the public and, importantly, collectors of rare Canadian artwork.

When the final gavel fell during the evening of December 6th, 2023, the collection had grossed over $36 million, an auction record for the sale of a private collection of Canadian art. 95% of the artwork successfully found buyers, with three-quarters of those works exceeding the high-end of pre-sale expectations. Twenty-nine artist records were smashed across the three sales, injecting renewed interest and enthusiasm for a variety of historical Canadian art at auction.

Cowley Abbott is privileged to have handled these artworks and is thrilled to find them new homes. One of the most enjoyable aspects of our live auctions is allowing the public to experience these masterful artworks for a brief period before they pass into new hands. Several of the works were offered for the first time, and many for the last time, during this generation. We are grateful to our wonderful consignors, collectors, and the Canadian art community for its continued support and participation throughout a momentous and record-breaking period for Cowley Abbott.