Waddington's Major Spring Auctions Feature a Diverse Selection of Rare and Exceptional artworks

A rare, retrospective Inuit print collection highlights the Canadian company's 175th anniversary

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, May 13, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A highlight of Waddington’s major spring auction season is the retrospective collection of prints by Parr. Recognised as one of the most significant Inuit artists of the 20th century, Parr’s drawings serve as vital visual records, offering insight into the nomadic lifestyle that he and many of his generation experienced. Presented in 1979 on the 10th anniversary of Parr’s death, the complete collection is offered at auction for the first time.

In addition to Inuit Art, Waddington's presents their major spring Canadian & International Fine Art, and First Nations Art auctions.

INUIT ART HIGHLIGHTS
Featuring examples of important Inuit art, the auction includes selections from the collection of former Northwest Territories Arts and Crafts Development Officer David Sutherland, the complete collection of prints by Parr, and significant works by Marion Tuu’luq, Karoo Ashevak, John Pangnark, Judas Ullulaq, Osuitok Ipeelee, Pauta Saila, Kenojuak Ashevak, Pudlo Pudlat, Joe Kiloonik, Oviloo Tunnillie, and others.

Parr ᐸ (1893-1969), Kinngait (Cape Dorset)
THE COMPLETE COLLECTION OF PRINTS, 1961-1974
Comprised of 34 prints, including two stencils, 26 stonecuts, three engravings, and three etchings.
Estimate: $50,000—70,000
Assembled with great care over a period of more than 15 years by Gallery One in Toronto, the 1979 retrospective exhibition of Parr's 34 prints may have been the only time to date that the complete printed works of Parr have been viewable together. Waddington's is honoured to present this extraordinary collection at auction, which has been held in storage since the exhibition.

Marion Tuu'luq ᒪᕆᓂ ᑐᓗ, RCA (1910-2002), Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake)
UNTITLED (WINTER SCENE), CA. 1977
Estimate: $50,000—70,000
Dense, vibrant, and skilfully constructed, Untitled (Winter Scene) by Marion Tuu’luq is a rich tableau of winter life in stroud and felt. With its crown of igloos, it seems to offer a counterpoint to the artist’s many spring and summer scenes, dotted by warm weather tents. Winter in the Arctic has traditionally been the Inuit ceremonial season, a time of transformation, and of commune with spirits, both benign and malevolent.

Pauta Saila ᐸᐅᑕ ᓯᓚ, RCA (1916-2009), Kinngait (Cape Dorset)
DANCING BEAR, CA. 1985
Estimate: $50,000—70,000
Dancing Bear, an important work by the artist, dates circa 1985, a period during which many of Pauta's most iconic examples were carved. A heavyweight among bears made over his career, it exhibits a nearly unique massiveness of presence. Its weight and the huge diameter of the bear's limbs emphasize Pauta's exceptional talent for engineering and balance.

CANADIAN & INTERNATIONAL FINE ART HIGHLIGHTS
Two canvases by Canadian artist Jack Bush highlight this auction of notable works by Canadian and international artists, including Frederick Banting, Clarence Gagnon, William Kurelek, Jean Paul Lemieux, J.W. Morrice, William Perehudoff, Takao Tanabe, Bernard Buffet, Jean Dufy, Francisco Zúñiga, Larry Poons, Jules Olitski, amongst others.

Jack Hamilton Bush, OSA, ARCA (1909-1977), Canadian
SOLO SOPRANO #1, 1975 [STANNERS 3.29.1975.23]
Estimate: $125,000—175,000
"The year before Bush painted Solo Soprano #1, he received a glossary of musical terms from his youngest son, Terry Bush. It’s tempting to think that the pitch of the pink hues is a conscious attempt by the artist to conjure up the sound of a soprano singer – like a synesthetic experience, where colour represents sound." Dr. Sarah Stanners.

Jack Hamilton Bush, OSA, ARCA (1909-1977), Canadian
BLUE-GREEN THRUST, 1959 [STANNERS: 1.147.1959.353]
Estimate: $80,000—120,000
Painted in May 1959, Blue-Green Thrust marks a shift in Jack Bush’s practice and represents the first in what comes to be known as the 'Thrust' series. Bush went on to create over two dozen paintings from this series throughout the early 1960s.

Clarence Alphonse Gagnon, RCA (1881-1942), Canadian
UNTITLED (ASSISI), 1911
Estimate: $50,000—70,000
"From June to November 1911, Clarence Gagnon stayed in Italy for the third time. Upon his return to his Paris studio located at 9 rue Falguière, the painter wasted no time in transferring to canvas the impressions inspired by his visit to Assisi. The number of paintings by Clarence Gagnon with Assisi as the subject can be counted on one hand. In this respect, the recent appearance of Untitled (Assisi), 1911 on the Canadian art market is exceptional. This work had been kept hidden from public view in the artist's family for over a century." Michèle Grandbois, Ph.D

Jules Olitski (1922-2007), American
NIGHT LIGHT, 1988
Estimate: $40,000—50,000
Night Light (1988) is an early painting from the “Mitt” series, in which Olitski’s gestural approach, combined with an overlay of dark pigmented spray paint, reveals a unique sculptural effect. Depending on the viewer’s perspective, the painting either glows or recedes into shadow. A completely immersive experience, Night Light’s pulsating atmospheric fields of colour vibrate and shift before the eyes.

FIRST NATIONS ART HIGHLIGHTS
Waddington's major spring First Nations art auction presents significant works by Norval Morrisseau, Alex Janvier, Daphne Odjig, Eddy Cobiness, Chief Henry Speck Sr., Carl Ray, Arthur Shilling, Cecil Youngfox, Dale Auger, amongst other noted artists.

Alex Janvier, CM, AOE, RCA, LLD (1935-2024), Denesuline
GREEN LIFE
Estimate: $15,000—20,000

Daphne Odjig, CM, OBC, RCA (1919-2016), Nishnaabe-Neshnabe (Odawa-Potawatomi)
SHAWL DANCE, 1994
Estimate: $15,000—20,000

Norval Morrisseau, CM, RCA (1932-2007), Anishinaabe (Ojibwe)
OJIBWA INDIAN, CA. 1960-62
Estimate: $15,000—20,000

AUCTION DETAILS

Waddington's major spring auctions are presented online May 8 to May 29, 2025; please note the closing times of each auction.

Inuit Art: May 29 at 6 pm
First Nations Art: May 29 at 7 pm
Canadian & International Fine Art: May 29 at 8 pm

Public previews are available at Waddington's Toronto gallery, 100 Broadview Avenue, M4M 3H3
Wednesday, May 21 through Thursday, May 29, or by appointment.

Register at bid.waddingtons.ca

ABOUT WADDINGTON'S
Canada's auction house since 1850, Waddington's is the country's most diverse provider of auction and appraisal services, specialising in Canadian and International fine art, First Nations, Inuit and Métis art, decorative arts and design, fine jewellery and fine wine and spirits.

Tess McLean
Waddington's Auctioneers
+1 647-296-8377
tm@waddingtons.ca
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