Alan Caswell Collier
(1911 - 1990) OSA, RCA
Previously Sold Works
ALAN CASWELL COLLIER
Eureka Sound
oil on canvas
signed lower right; titled on a label on the stretcher, inscribed “Ellesmere Island in the background” on the stretcher
24 x 32 ins ( 61 x 81.3 cms )
Auction Estimate: $6,000.00 - $8,000.00
Price Realized $8,260.00
Sale date: November 20th 2018
ALAN CASWELL COLLIER
Big River, Labrador
oil on canvas
signed lower left; inscribed “Mouth of Big River, Lab., Near Makkovick” on the stretcher
24 x 36 ins ( 61 x 91.4 cms )
Auction Estimate: $5,000.00 - $7,000.00
Price Realized $7,475.00
Sale date: November 22nd 2016
ALAN CASWELL COLLIER
Alona Bay, Lake Superior, October
oil on canvas
signed lower right; titled on the stretcher
24 x 36 ins ( 61 x 91.4 cms )
Auction Estimate: $5,000.00 - $7,000.00
Price Realized $5,750.00
Sale date: November 22nd 2016
ALAN CASWELL COLLIER
The Land that Broods
oil on canvas
signed lower right
24 x 36 ins ( 61 x 91.4 cms )
Auction Estimate: $5,000.00 - $7,000.00
Price Realized $5,060.00
Sale date: May 25th 2017
ALAN CASWELL COLLIER
Around Lake Oesa
oil on canvas board
signed lower right; titled on artist’s label and inscribed “Above Lake O’Hara Lodge, in Yoho National Park, B.C.” on the reverse
16 x 20 ins ( 40.6 x 50.8 cms )
Auction Estimate: $2,000.00 - $3,000.00
Price Realized $4,484.00
Sale date: November 20th 2018
ALAN CASWELL COLLIER
Tug “Nipigon”, Abitibi Marine Base
oil on board
signed lower right; titled and inscribed “Orient Bay, Ont” on the reverse
12 x 16 ins ( 30.5 x 40.6 cms )
Auction Estimate: $2,000.00 - $3,000.00
Price Realized $3,776.00
Sale date: May 28th 2019
ALAN CASWELL COLLIER
Tangled Woods
oil on canvas on board
signed lower right; titled and dated 1966 to a label on the reverse; also titled on the artist’s label on the reverse
8 x 24 ins ( 20.3 x 61 cms )
Auction Estimate: $1,500.00 - $2,000.00
Price Realized $3,840.00
Sale date: December 3rd 2020
ALAN CASWELL COLLIER
Flowing Dark
oil on canvas board
signed lower left; titled on the artist label on the reverse
18 x 24 ins ( 45.7 x 61 cms )
Auction Estimate: $3,000.00 - $5,000.00
Price Realized $3,068.00
Sale date: May 29th 2018
ALAN CASWELL COLLIER
Shore of Kootenay Lake, B.C.
oil on board
signed lower right; signed and titled on the reverse
12 x 16 ins ( 30.5 x 40.6 cms )
ALAN CASWELL COLLIER
Jean De Baie, Burin Peninsula, Newfoundland
oil on board
signed lower left; signed and titled on the reverse
12 x 16 ins ( 30.5 x 40.6 cms )
ALAN CASWELL COLLIER
Fraser Canyon, BC
oil on canvas
signed lower left
30 x 40 ins ( 76.2 x 101.6 cms )
Auction Estimate: $7,000.00 - $9,000.00
Price Realized $6,000.00
Sale date: November 28th 2014
ALAN CASWELL COLLIER
Horse Chops, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland
oil on board
signed lower left; signed and titled on the reverse
12 x 16 ins ( 30.5 x 40.6 cms )
Auction Estimate: $1,200.00 - $1,500.00
Price Realized $2,400.00
Sale date: November 28th 2014
ALAN CASWELL COLLIER
Near Liard River, Beside the Alaska Highway
oil on board
signed lower right; signed and titled on the reverse
12 x 16 ins ( 30.5 x 40.6 cms )
ALAN CASWELL COLLIER
Vancouver Island
ink and watercolour
signed and titled lower right
10.75 x 12.5 ins ( 27.3 x 31.8 cms ) ( sight )
Consignments
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Alan Collier Biography
(1911 - 1990) OSA, RCA
Born in Toronto, Alan Collier studied under J.E.H. MacDonald, and Franklin Carmichael at the Ontario College of Art (1929-33). Following graduation, he travelled across the country on a relief gang, and worked as a miner to earn enough money to study at the Art Students’ League in New York City. During his studies, he returned to mining from time to time to enable him to continue with his education. In 1937 he studied at the Art Students’ League, New York, under Howard Trafton, 1937-9 and while there he worked as a commercial artist making illustrations for advertising until 1942.
He joined the Canadian Army in 1943. He returned to Toronto after the war to continue his advertising art career, but concentrated more and more on painting. Early In his painting he was influenced by the work of J. W. Beatty, J. E. H. MacDonald, and Frank Carmichael. Over the years he made trips to British Columbia and many other parts of Canada travelling by trailer with his wife and son, three months of the summer. One year, however, he returned to the selenite mines where he had worked, and painted a series of canvases from the miner’s point of view.
In 1951 his background in mining became the inspiration for a series of paintings depicting the underground work environment, an interest that spanned several years. He also made annual road trips with his family to paint Canadian landscape. Reviewing his work in 1961, Globe and Mail critic Colin Sabiston wrote, “Technically, Mr. Collier has reached a new peak of achievement, especially in his paintings. The drawings are in clean-cut lines . . . The paintings, on the other hand are redolent of rich colour . . .” He received a commission from Standard Oil in 1963 to paint landscapes along the Trans-Canada Highway.
Collier’s media include oils, watercolours, pyroxilin and acrylic polymer emulsion. His compositions are masterful in their simplicity. A muralist as well, he decorated the foyer of the Toronto agency of The Bank of Canada, and two murals in the Ryerson Institute of Technology, Toronto. His portraits include personalities in business and educational fields. He considered his finest portrait that of his wife Ruth. He exhibited at the Roberts Galley in the early spring of each year of 1961, 1963 and 1965. He is represented at the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Hamilton Art Gallery. Collier was elected a member of the Ontario Society of Artists in 1952. He taught advertising art at the Ontario College of Art from 1955 to 1967 at which time he devoted himself to painting on a full-time basis. He died in Toronto at the age of 79.
Source: "A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, Volume I: A-F", compiled by Colin S. MacDonald, Canadian Paperbacks Publishing Ltd, Ottawa, 1977
