The seven works by Jean Paul Riopelle put up for auction on Thursday by Maison Heffel generated sales of 11 million, the auctioneer said. The large mosaic Composition No. 2 alone, dated 1951, sold for 5.7 million.
Nearly a hundred works were part of this semi-annual Heffel sale, which generated total sales of $23.5 million.
Riopelle, whose centenary we have been celebrating since the beginning of the year, also produced a self-portrait, Self, dated 1959, which was acquired for 3.9 million.
Among the other pieces put up for auction were the sale of Miniatures empresses, by Paul-Émile Borduas, dated 1955, for the sum of 1.4 million; but also that of a work by Emily Carr, Alert Bay (Indian in Yellow Blanket), dated 1912, sold for 1.6 million.
However, it is impossible to know if the buyers come from Quebec, elsewhere in the country or around the world given the confidentiality agreement that binds them to the auctioneer. Participants in Thursday’s auction came from Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia.
