Cowley Abbott

About Cowley Abbott

Cowley Abbott is a Toronto auction house for Canadian and international fine art. It holds live and online auctions and also offers appraisals and private sales. Its gallery and head office are at 326 Dundas Street West in Toronto, and it also has an office in Calgary.

The firm is run by its two managing partners, Rob Cowley and Lydia Abbott, both long-time members of the Toronto auction trade.

History

The business launched in August 2013 as Consignor Canadian Fine Art. It started as an online Canadian art auction house, founded by Rob Cowley, Lydia Abbott and Ryan Mayberry, and held its first online sale in September 2013.

In May 2014 it set a record for a Canadian online auction when Jack Bush's Summer Lake sold for $310,000. Live sales followed, and in September 2019 the firm was renamed Cowley Abbott after its two managing partners.

• 2013: launched as Consignor Canadian Fine Art; first online sale
• 2014: Canadian online auction record with Jack Bush's Summer Lake
• 2016: first semi-annual live sale
• 2019: renamed Cowley Abbott
• 2022 to 2023: three sales of an important private collection of Canadian art

What they sell

Cowley Abbott focuses on Canadian historical, post-war and contemporary art. This includes the Group of Seven and their contemporaries, alongside international works. Sales range from major paintings in the live auctions to prints, works on paper and more affordable pieces online.

Notable results include:

• Lawren Harris, Algoma (Algoma Sketch 48): $977,500 at the first live sale in May 2016
• Jack Bush, Summer Lake: $310,000 online in May 2014
• Andy Warhol, Queen Elizabeth II prints: $936,000 in June 2023
• An important private collection of Canadian art: more than $36 million across three auctions in 2022 and 2023, with nine works above $1 million and 29 artist auction records

Leading lots from that collection included Lawren Harris's Quiet Lake (Northern Painting 12), c. 1926 to 1928, at $2,160,000. Harris's North Shore, Lake Superior, a study for a canvas in the Art Gallery of Ontario, doubled expectations to sell for $1.03 million.

Selling

Cowley Abbott offers appraisals, auction consignment and private sales for collectors, estates and institutions. The 2022 to 2023 private collection sales are, by the firm's account, the highest-grossing private collection ever sold at auction in Canada. In the first of those sales, 80 of the 100 works sold went above their high pre-sale estimates. Seller terms are agreed with the specialists when the work is consigned.

Buying and bidding

The house holds semi-annual live auctions of major works, with online auctions running through the year. Buyers can bid in the saleroom or online, including through a dedicated bidding platform and mobile app.

• Buyer's premium: 25% of the successful bid up to and including $25,000, plus 20% on the amount above $25,000, according to the firm's terms and conditions of sale
• Platform rate: the terms also list a rate one point higher (26% and 21%), which applies to some bidding channels
• Sales formats: live auctions, timed online auctions and private sales

Location

Cowley Abbott's head office and gallery are on Dundas Street West in downtown Toronto, where it holds previews and live sales. The firm also has an office in Calgary and a Montreal contact line, and it has held previews in Montreal at Le Mount Stephen on Drummond Street.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Cowley Abbott previously called Consignor?

Yes. It was founded in 2013 as Consignor Canadian Fine Art and renamed Cowley Abbott in September 2019, after managing partners Rob Cowley and Lydia Abbott.

What is Cowley Abbott's buyer's premium?

The terms of sale set it at 25% of the successful bid up to $25,000 and 20% on the amount above. Some bidding channels carry a rate one point higher.

Does Cowley Abbott hold online auctions?

Yes. The firm began as an online auction house in 2013. It still runs online sales alongside its semi-annual live auctions in Toronto.