By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-10-02 21:25:28 | Updated at 2024-10-04 13:25:19
1 day ago
A serendipitous discovery of a lost Emily Carr painting has turned a $50 purchase into a potential fortune.
A few months ago, New York-based art dealer Allen Treibitz attended a barn sale in the Hamptons, where a particular painting immediately drew his attention. The artwork, featuring a carved grizzly bear atop a memorial totem pole, bore the signature of the iconic Canadian painter Emily Carr.
Although the dealer was a seasoned art expert of 40 years, he was not acquainted with Carr's legacy. However, he felt that the painting was something 'extraordinary.'
'It stood out from everything else in that barn,' the 61-year-old dealer told CTV News.
Treibitz purchased the painting for $50, and after conducting some initial research, he realized it could be far more valuable than he first thought. When he contacted Canada's Heffel Fine Art Auction House, his suspicions were confirmed.
“We were provided photos and there was no doubt in my mind that this was an exciting Cinderella discovery,”,' said David Heffel, president of the auction house, in an interview.
New York-based art dealer Allen Treibitz stumbled upon a painting featuring a carved grizzly bear atop a memorial totem pole, bearing the signature of renowned Canadian artist Emily Carr
Carr painted the artwork, titled Masset, Q.C.I in 1912, in an effort to document the artistic heritage of British Columbia's First Nations communities
Carr painted the artwork, titled Masset, Q.C.I in 1912, in an effort to document the artistic heritage of British Columbia's First Nations communities. It depicts a memorial post in Masset, a village in the Haida Gwaii archipelago.
The painting is believed to have been gifted by Carr to a friend in the 1930s and has remained in the Hamptons ever since.
“I see a lot of very interesting things (but) this one is ... the most significant thing I've ever found,” Treibitz said. “The fact that it was found and that it is back to its home place is very important."
Carr incorporated techniques and styles she learned while studying art in Paris from 1910 to 1911 into the painting, which included working with vibrant watercolours, former University of Guelph art history professor Gerta Moray said.
Moray, who is the author of a book on First Nations imagery in Carr's work, said the style of the painting was considered a setback for the artist at the time.
Carr was born in Victoria in 1871 and was closely associated with the renowned Group of Seven, which includes Franklin Carmichael, Lawren Harris and A.Y. Jackson.
'Unfortunately, because of her modern Parisian post-Impressionist style, it was not well received locally,' Moray said. 'She could not then find a destination for it, either with the provincial museum or getting any number of public purchases.'
Heffel mentioned that the painting was found in its original frame and stretcher and had not been altered since being hung in the barn.
'It needed a good cleaning and freshening up,' he said.
Treibitz only paid $50 for Carr’s painting which is estimated to sell at an auction in November for upwards of $200,000 (Pictured: Emily Carr)
Carr later painted the same memorial post again in 1937, but from a different perspective.
The 1912 painting is scheduled to be auctioned in Toronto on November 20, with an estimated value of $100,000 to $200,000. Before the auction, it will be on display at Heffel galleries in several cities.
Treibitz said he hopes that the painting will find a new home with a dedicated Carr collector or a museum.
