Alex Colville's Harbour painting sells in auction for $1.88M with fees

A painting by renowned Canadian artist Alex Colville sold in auction for $1.88million Thursday, more than doublethe estimated result.

Harbour, painted in 1975 and still in its original frame,was estimated to sell for between$500,000 and$700,000, said David Heffel, president of Heffel Fine Art Auction House.

This latest sale of $1.88millionor $1.6million plus feesbeats the previous record sale of aColvillepainting of $1.4million at thehammer price, he said.

"It's a tremendous honour for our firm," Heffelsaid Thursday evening from the auction at Park HyattHotel in Toronto.

"Colvillewas a great artist that was and is collected nationally in Canada and throughout his lifetime internationally collected, recognized and renowned."

This onedrew interest for being a self-portrait of Colville, made more poignant by his death in 2013, Heffel said. Colville died at his home in Wolfville, N.S., at age 92.

'Eyes confronting you directly'

HarbourdepictedColvillewith his dog in a vintage 1970 Land Rover. Inthe backgroundisafreighterin a harbour, "which could have been Vancouver, Halifax, Hamburg, anywhere in the world,"Heffelsaid.

"I've always felt that for an artist to create a self-portraitis verychallenging. It worksparticularlywhen you have the artist's eyes confronting you directly," hesaid.

"Thepower of that painting really comes from thecompositionand the technical ability ofColville, which I think in the1970swas the peak of his technical craft."

Colville'had a feeling of intensity'

Colville's work led thepost-war and contemporary art fall auction's program two decades ago, and was equally represented at Thursday's anniversary event, Heffelsaid.

Heffelfrequently spent time withColvilleand his wife,Rhoda, who isfeatured in many ofColville'spieces.

"I really felt he had a feeling of intensitywhen you spoke with Colville, that he spoke with authority," Heffel said.

"Hebuilt his paintings over a great deal of thought and time and mastering the composition and also in his ability to drawfrom his life experiences."