Harris painting sells for record $2.2M

National Post, May 30, 2001

By Michael Higgins

TORONTO – A painting by Group of Seven member Lawren Harris sold for $2.2-million last night, shattering the price record for a Canadian picture.

The piece, Baffin Island, which depicts icy white mountains against vivid blue sky, was bought by media mogul Ken Thomson, an avid art collector.

Mr. Thomson said last night he had never seen the painting until he was contacted several months ago by Joyner's auction house and told they had a spectacular Harris canvas.

"I was bowled over by it," Mr. Thomson said. "I think it is instantly exciting. It captures the imagination, it is a mythical picture."

"People who know the north, Canada, will say it has captured the spirit of this country magnificently," Mr. Thomson said.

During the sale in Toronto last night, the crowd erupted into "spontaneous applause" when the bidding cleared one million dollars, two million dollars, and then again when the painting sold, said Linda Rodeck, executive vice-president of the auction house.

"It's such a wonderful picture, I just couldn’t let it go," Mr. Thomson said.

He said he expected the painting to go for over one million dollars, but did not believe it would be sold for more than two.

"In a situation like that, you do not know what you are going to be confronted with. It is painful when you are in the process of achieving it. But when you have purchased it there is a tremendous sense of a thrill" said Mr. Thomson, chairman of Thomson Corp.

Mr. Thomson is considered the richest person in Canada, with a net worth estimated at more than $8-billion.

His art collection has an estimated value of $200-million.

"A lot of people have said that it was the pinnacle of Harris's achievements, when he painted that picture."

Two years ago, the auction house sold another large Harris painting called Lake Superior III for a Canadian record at the time of $1,056,000.

The Baffin Island painting belonged to Harris's family until about l950.

It was put on the market by a person who lives in Ontario, but the auction house was not divulging the name of the seller.

"The people are very modest, very shy and don't want the publicity. I'm sure they'll be amazed at the price," Mr. Thomson said.

"It's never been on the market before, which gets collectors very excited," Ms. Rodeck said.

"It's never been on display at any of the public institutions. It's hung in the family's home since they've owned it. It's not been reproduced in any of the books on Lawren Harris.'

Mr. Thomson said he hopes one day to put the painting on display to the public.

The painting, done circa 1931, measures 101 centimetres by 127 and is in "excellent condition, probably because it hasn't moved around too much," Ms. Rodeck said.

The painting War Canoes by noted Canadian artist Emily Carr sold last year for $1,018,750.