Cowley Abbott is staging its major spring sale, 'Select Masterworks of Indigenous and International Art,' at the Globe and Mail Centre in Toronto on May 27. The auction features a diverse range of works, including Pierre-Auguste Renoir's 'Paysage du Midi' (ca. 1900), Vincent van Gogh's 'Homme à la Pipe: Portrait du Docteur Gachet' (1890), Philip Russell Goodwin's 'Camping – Canadian Club' (1916), Emily Carr's 'Wind' (1936), and Lawren Stewart Harris's 'Above Coldwell Bay, North Shore, Lake Superior (Lake Superior Sketch XV)' (1925), with estimates ranging from CA$150,000 to CA$700,000.
This sale matters because it highlights the growing market for Indigenous and Canadian art alongside international masters, reflecting a broader trend of recognizing Canada's distinct artistic heritage. The inclusion of works by Group of Seven member Lawren Stewart Harris and Emily Carr underscores the importance of Canadian modernism, while the presence of Renoir and van Gogh demonstrates the auction house's ability to attract global attention, potentially setting new benchmarks for regional sales.