Work by William Kurelek Exceeds Expectation at Consignor¹s Fall Auction of Important Canadian Art

A recently discovered painting by renowned Canadian artist William Kurelek, titled Ukrainian Proverb, sold for $41,400 (all prices include 15% Buyer's Premium) at Consignor's Fall Auction of Important Canadian Art - more than doubling its pre-sale auction estimate. The 10" X 4.5" painting depicting a wintry scene, was a gift from the artist to a Toronto woman as thanks for her homemade apple strudels during a chance encounter in the 1970s. The painting came to light after Consignor put out a call to the public to bring in works of art for free appraisals, and discovered the unknown Kurelek that was brought in by an owner who inherited the piece from her late mother.

"Kurelek's art has been extremely popular over the past decade and routinely fetches values above expectation, so we're thrilled to see the demand for his body of work continue," said Consignor Managing Director Lydia Abbott. "It's rare to come across an unknown work of art by an artist as renowned as Kurelek. This piece is truly a gem and we're pleased to have set precedence to offer Ukrainian Proverb at auction for the first time."

Consignor's semi-annual auction which closed shortly after 2:00pm EST today, saw other notable highlights including: Soft Greens in May, a 1979 canvas by Saskatchewan painter Dorothy Knowles fetched $29,900 (almost double the pre-sale auction estimate of $12,000-15,000); The Village Road, a 1982 acrylic by Ted Harrison sold for $29,900 (with an auction estimate of $15,000-20,000); a 1960s work on paper by Norval Morrisseau, Warrior, sold for $27,600 (more than double its estimate of $8,000-12,000). Works by Maud Lewis also performed well during the auction with each of the three offered works exceeding their auction estimates and Skiing and Sledding Scene fetching $12,650.

The 131-lot auction also featured important works of art by celebrated historical and post-war Canadian artists such as A.J. Casson, Arthur Lismer, Franz Johnston, Emily Carr, P.C. Sheppard, Kathleen Morris, Nora Collyer, Robert Pilot, Jean Paul Riopelle, Jean McEwen, Jack Shadbolt, Harold Town, Sorel Etrog, Kathleen Morris, Sybil Andrews, W.J. Phillips, Otto Rogers, Dorothy Knowles, Gordon Applebe Smith, Maud Lewis, Ted Harrison, Robert Bateman, Joe Fafard, Doris McCarthy, David Blackwood, among others.

Media Note: High-resolution images of artwork featured in the fall auction are available to media upon request.

Consignor Canadian Fine Art is a partnership between art veterans Rob Cowley, Lydia Abbott and Ryan Mayberry (Partner at Mayberry Fine Art and Founder of Consignor.ca). Cowley and Abbott became principals in the new venture with Ryan Mayberry, taking Consignor.ca from its original form, as a branch of Mayberry Fine Art, to a separate company focusing on auctions of Canadian art.

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Media Contacts:

Tran Nguyen

tnguyen@holmespr.com

416-628-5607