Valuable Canadian Artworks

If you’re looking for the best reflection of Canada’s rich heritage, you’ll find it adorned on the delicate walls of art galleries—or in the luxurious living rooms of billionaires. Showcasing our country’s picturesque landscapes, diverse culture and poignant narratives, these artworks beautifully capture the Canadian spirit through their brushstrokes.

From the wilderness of the Group of Seven that defined the first national art movement to the abstract art of the Automatiste movement that defied traditional conventions, we bring you 8 of the most valuable artworks that are worth their weight in gold.

1. Mountain Forms by Lawren Harris

This famous painting by Group of Seven founder Lawren Harris is the most expensive artwork that has ever sold at a Canadian auction. Painted in 1926, Mountain Forms sold for a jaw-dropping $11.21 million in 2016. The blue-and-white themed canvas depicts Alberta’s Mount Ishbel in the Sawback Range of the Rocky Mountains in Banff National Park. The detailed triangular lines and chromatic range of hues borrow inspiration from the Art Deco style, creating a peace-inducing picture of Canada’s iconic mountain peak.

Medium: Oil on canvas

2. Vent du Nord by Jean-Paul Riopelle

Montreal-born artist Jean-Paul Riopelle referred to his paintings as “sculptures in oil” and was known for his signature style of painting with a custom-made palette knife instead of a brush. Vent du nord, Canada’s second most expensive artwork, sold for a staggering $7.4 million in 2017 at the Heffel Fine Art Auction House. Painted in 1952-1953, it is described as providing “endless adventures for the eye”, utilizing techniques borrowed from the Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism art movements.

3. Scene in the Northwest – Portrait by Paul Kane

Paul Kane painted this magnificent artwork in 1845-1846, depicting British explorer John Henry Lefroy on an expedition to search for the magnetic north pole. The intricately-painted artwork focusses on portraiture and landscape, both of which are Kane’s signature techniques. It was sold at auction in 2002 for a whopping $5.1 million, setting the highest record at that time. It was purchased by Ken Thomson, a prominent art collector, who subsequently donated it to the Art Gallery of Ontario.

4. The Jack Pine by Tom Thomson

One of the most iconic artworks in Canadian history, The Jack Pine captures the soul of northern Ontario through its impressive composition of nature. Painted in 1916-1917, it depicts a lone pine tree standing tall on the shore, surrounded by a placid lake and mountain ranges. The colours depict the arrival of fall/winter, while the setting sun in the background lends an orange-golden glow to the untamed landscape. It is currently on display at the National Gallery of Canada.

5. Dead Troops Talk (A Vision After an Ambush of a Red Army patrol, near Moqor, Afghanistan, Winter 1986) by Jeff Wall

This staged photograph is the epitome of artist Jeff Wall’s production work. Inspired by war photography, Wall created a fictional scene from the Soviet-Afghan war depicting the aftermath of an attack on a Red Army patrol by the Mujahideen in the winter of 1986. The wounded soldiers are seen rising from the dead with missing limbs, creating a bone-chilling scene. The Canadian photograph sold for a record-setting $3.6 million at Christie’s in New York in 2012.

Medium: Photograph

6. Figures Schématiques by Paul-Émile Borduas

Quebec artist Paul-Émile Borduas founded the Automatiste movement in the 1940s, an avant-garde group of artists and intellectuals seeking freedom in visual expression and artistic experimentation. His abstract 1956 work Figures Schématiques showcased his rebellious streak of breaking away from traditional artistic conventions. The bold monochrome artwork was sold for $3.6 million at the Heffel Fine Art Auction House in 2018.

7.  Neige, Canada (Snow, Canada) by James Wilson Morrice

This rare Canadian artwork by Canadian artist James Wilson Morrice was painted in 1905. It has been showcased in many exhibitions, like the memorial exhibition held in 1925 at the Art Association in Montreal. The scenic oil painting depicts a wintery landscape with a snow-covered house surrounded by a fence, while a horse and its sled wait outside. It was sold at auction in 2022 for $1.2 million.

8. Church at Yoquot Village by Emily Carr

This masterpiece by celebrated Canadian artist Emily Carr is an acknowledgment of the Indigenous culture, history and community that lived where the church was located on the West Coast of Canada. Painted in 1929, Church at Yoquot Village is seen as one of her most important works. The solemn painting depicts a windowless church surrounded by a graveyard and lush rainforests. The painting was owned by art collector Charles Band and was donated to the Art Gallery of Ontario in 1969.

Shweta Gandhi | Contributing Writer

Winter 2024

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