3 Lawren Harris paintings exceed presale estimates at Heffel spring auction

A trio of paintings by Group of Seven member Lawren Harris were soldat an auction in Vancouver on Wednesday night.

The Heffel Fine Art Auction House says Harris's canvas Laurentian Landscapesold for $2.2 million it was expected to fetch between$1.2 million and $1.6 million.

Heffel saidthe painting is considered to be "a foundation work for the establishment of the Group of Seven."

"We're ecstatic, not only with the results of the auction, but with the strong attendance at our previews,"said Robert Heffel, vice president of Heffel Fine Art Auction House, in a written statement.

"Sharing this group of historically important works with the public is as exciting for us as seeing the pieces find their rightful homes."

Oil-on-board works Coldwell, Lake Superiorand Mount Sampson, Maligne Lakerounded out the trio of Harris paintings for sale.

Three of the late landscape artist's creations broke the million-dollar mark at Heffel's fall auction in Toronto, led by the record-breaking $4.6-million sale of Mountain and Glacier.

Works by all original members of the Group of Seven were also on the auction block at the spring Heffel sale, including A.Y. Jackson's snow scene Farm at St. Tite des Caps,an oil-on-canvas work. It sold for $354,000.

Five works by Emily Carr, including the oil-on-canvas Shorelineand rare watercolour Gitwangak,were available. They sold for$708,000 and $413,000, respectively alsowell above their presale estimates.

A "historically significant" 1949 post-war canvas by official Canada war artist E.J. Hughes wasalso on the auction block and set an artist record at $1.593,000, far exceeding its presale estimate of up to $800,000.

Hughes relied on supplies left over from his Second World War service to paint The Post Office at Courtenay, B.C. a work he created over the course of three years.

A pair of works by the late Alex Colville werealso sold: Racerfrom the celebrated artist's prolific mid-'50s period, and Swimming Dog and Canoe. Heffel said the latter sold for $1,180,000 its presale estimate was between $300,000 and $500,000.

The spring auction also featuredJean Paul Riopelle's 1955 Composition,which was exhibited at the National Gallery of Canada.

The two-session live auction took place at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

With files from CBC News