A unknown and untitled work by prominent Canadian landscape painter Tom Thomson, has been found in a garage sale in British Columbia.
 Untitled (1915) - Tom Thomson |
The piece will be sold as part of a contemporary and Canadian art sale in Vancouver on May 16, 2012.
The remarkable find, which most of us would have secretly hoped for, was bought for just $50 among old furniture and scrap in the garage sale. It is said that the consigner of the item brought it to the auction house in a plastic bag, and it was nearly overlooked.
After a two-month long authentication process, the dirty and tired painting was ascertained as an original of Tom Thomson, painted in 1915.
Thomson was a well-known and influential Canadian painter who inspired the famous Algonquin School or Group of Seven. He died in mysterious circumstances in 1917, following a canoeing trip in Algonquin Park, the subject of many of his paintings.
The piece has been set an estimate of $150,000-$250,000 which, in our opinion, it is likely to comfortably reach. Another of Thomson's works entitled Early Spring, Canoe Lake sold for $2.75M in 2009.
Notable lots from the sale include Gordon A. Smith's Fundy 7. Another abstract landscape, this piece is expected to bring £35,000-$45,000 in the sale, a fraction of that expected from Tom Thomson.
Canadian Artist, Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun's Native Land Claim will also feature in the sale. Yuxweluptun's work derives its inspiration from native social and political issues, with his father a onetime president of the North American Indian Brotherhood. His striking work has an estimate of $15,000-$20,000.
Art lovers will want to visit our Art & Photography section, where we have many items for sale, including this Pablo Picasso autographed postcard.
Here at Paul Fraser Collectibles, we will, as always, bring you the latest in news, views and expert opinion from the Art world. See our other Art & Photography articles here.
