Art is what makes up our culture and the culture of the world.
Art comes in many forms: literature, dance, architecture, theatre, fashion…………..
Art is made or created by an artist, a creative artist whose work has stood the test of time. This is true for all artistic disciplines. In each one there are artists whose names have become part of our common western cultural history: Picasso, Dior, Charles Dickens, Baryshnikov, Le Corbusier, Michelangelo and the list goes on…………….

However there is only one part of our culture that one can own, a work of visual art. The value of cultural art or artifacts such as paintings has been proven time and time again.
Over the years we have seen our cost of living rise. The value of our money has gone downward while the value of paintings from our Canadian masters has continually gone up.

For this reason it is very important when considering any purchase of Historical Art to know exactly what it is that you are acquiring. Each painting should be assessed so that one pays the right price for each piece. In this regard there are a number of important questions that a dealer can answer:

Who was the artist?

The most important part of a painting is who painted it. Was the artist creative? Has the artist stood the test of time? Did the artist influence other artists or perhaps spark the beginning of a whole new way of looking and painting? What is the status of the artist who painted the picture and where, in the whole scheme of art, in this case Canadian Art, does that artist stand? Has the artist’s work been collected by our cultural institutions? Was the artist a member of any important group in Canadian art, perhaps a member of the Group of Seven or the Canadian Group of Painters; was the artist a member of the Royal Canadian Academy, or one of many other important groups?

What period in the artist’s life was the painting painted?

Once the artist’s status is established one needs to consider the period in which the painting was executed. Each member of the Group of Seven, and for that matter virtually every world famous artist, had a period for which they became best known. Was it painted during the artist’s peak period when he or she was painting his best works? If the painting is not from a peak period then one has to establish how much earlier or later the painting was painted and the work should be priced accordingly. For example the peak period for an A.Y. Jackson (1882-1974) is 1917 until 1932. An A.Y. Jackson painted in 1965 is still a valuable piece but it is much less valuable than an AY Jackson painted in 1926. Pieces from both dates are worth owning, as they are both part of our cultural heritage. However the piece from 1926 will always be more valuable and more important than the piece from 1965. During times of economic stress it is the piece from 1926 that will retain it’s value and it’s liquidity.

Does the Painting have Visual Impact?

Often a piece like the peak period, “Cacouna” by A. Y. Jackson is pleasing to the eye. This makes sense, as that was when he did his best work. However, there are works that have strong visual impact such as Munch’s “The Scream”, Picasso’s “Guernica” or a bleak winter piece by Jean Paul Lemieux that are neither pretty nor pleasing to the eye but have huge visual impact. That impact sometimes influences artists enough to be the start of a whole new school of art such as Impressionism or Cubism.

What is the location/subject matter that the painting was painted?

Another fact that helps establish the value of a painting is the subject matter. Just as every artist had a peak period for which he or she was best known the same is true of location or subject matter. In A.Y. Jackson’s case a scene painted in 1926 depicting “Cacouna” in winter, with a horse and sleigh in the village is considered to be his best subject matter. Often the subject matter and peak period coincide. Our cultural institutes have collected many of the works of this location and date; consequently the remainder in public hands is few and far between, which leads us to the condition of rarity.

How rare is the painting?

In all the facets of our cultural world ‘rare’ is desirable. This is illustrated time and time again with such simple examples as, the Ruby Slippers, the Rosetta Stone, a piece of the Berlin wall, or Leonardo Da Vinci’s notebooks. Keeping this in mind when valuing our A.Y. Jackson, “Cacouna” painting from 1926 is rare because Jackson could only paint so much in a certain time frame. Of equal importance is the fact that most of these pieces are in our public galleries, and are rarely available for purchase. This is not true of a piece that A.Y. Jackson painted in 1965 or pieces from later dates as they are not sought after by our cultural institutes and are readily available, and consequently of less value. To add another dimension we could look at the artists Paul Peel (1860 –1892) Helen McNicoll ((1879 - 1915) or Tom Thomson (1877 - 1917) all of whom died very young leaving behind very few paintings. Works by these artists are rare to begin with and are usually found in our public galleries and are almost never available on the market, which is reflected in the prices.

What is the condition of the painting?

Condition of the painting is also a factor. Most desirable is mint or perfect condition. If the piece is not in perfect condition then the price should reflect its state of disrepair. Often an older canvas will be reinforced or a double-sided Group of Seven panel will have been split. These are the types of conditions that affect the price.

Where to purchase Historical Canadian Art?

As a dealer in Canadian Art I have the ability to search out fine quality paintings keeping all of the above factors in mind. I offer these works to my clients at honest and fair prices. In this way I am able to provide each client the opportunity to build the best possible collection tailored to his or her taste and resources.