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Samuel Borenstein Sold at Auction Prices

Painter, b. 1908 - d. 1969

Sam Borenstein (15 January 1908 – 15 December 1969)[1] was a Canadian painter. Born in Lithuania, Borenstein immigrated to Canada in 1921. During his forty-year career he painted numerous scenes of Montreal and Laurentian villages and Quebec landscapes bustling with human activity, using brilliant colours and exuberant brushwork. Borenstein was best known for his cityscapes and rural scenes, but also produced numerous portraits and still lifes. His works were on show at Galerie l'Art français from the 1960s.[2]

In 1992, Joyce Borenstein, the artist's daughter, a film animator and artist in her own right, produced an animated film entitled The Colours of My Father: A Portrait of Sam Borenstein, which was nominated for an Academy Award.

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    • Borenstein, Samuel - Landscapesold
      Mar. 28, 2023

      Borenstein, Samuel - Landscape

      Est: CAD2,000 - CAD4,000

      Borenstein, Samuel (1908-1969) Landscape Description: Gouache on paper, signed on lower right Borenstein Dimension (PO): 12" x 28" Dimension (CM): 30.5 x 71.1 cm Condition report: Upon request, We will gladly answer all your inquiries in a detailed manner.

      Champagne Auctions
    • Borenstein, Samuel - Portrait d'homme - 1954sold
      Oct. 25, 2022

      Borenstein, Samuel - Portrait d'homme - 1954

      Est: CAD1,500 - CAD2,000

      Borenstein, Samuel (1908-1969) Portrait d'homme (1954) Description: Pastel and ink on paper, signed and dated on lower right Borenstein 54 Dimension (PO): 19 1/2" x 15 3/4" Dimension (CM): 49.5 x 40 cm Condition report: Upon request, We will gladly answer all your inquiries in a detailed manner.

      Champagne Auctions
    • Borenstein, Samuel - Laurentian landscape - 1939sold
      May. 24, 2022

      Borenstein, Samuel - Laurentian landscape - 1939

      Est: CAD3,000 - CAD4,000

      Borenstein, Samuel (1908-1969) Laurentian landscape (1939) Description: Gouache on paper, signed and dated on lower right Borenstein 39, label of West End Gallery Dimension (PO): 16" x 20" Dimension (CM): 40.6 x 50.8 cm Condition report: Upon request, We will gladly answer all your inquiries in a detailed manner.

      Champagne Auctions
    • Borenstein, Sam - Paysage - 1932sold
      Mar. 15, 2022

      Borenstein, Sam - Paysage - 1932

      Est: CAD3,000 - CAD8,000

      Borenstein, Sam (1908-1969) Paysage (1932) Description (FR): Huile sur panneau, signée et datée en bas à droite Sam Borenstein 1932, dédicacée au dos To my good friend, Sam Borenstein 1932 Description (EN): Oil on panel, signed and dated on lower right Sam Borenstein 1932, dedicated on back To my good friend, Sam Borenstein 1932 Dimension (PO): 12" x 15 1/4" Dimension (CM): 30.5 x 38.7 cm Rapport de condition: Sur demande, nous nous ferons un plaisir de répondre à vos questions de manière détaillée. Condition report: Upon request, We will gladly answer all your inquiries in a detailed manner.

      Champagne Auctions
    • Signed Samuel Borenstein Canadian Watercolor Winter Villagesold
      Mar. 22, 2020

      Signed Samuel Borenstein Canadian Watercolor Winter Village

      Est: $300 - $400

      Samuel Borenstein (Canadian, 1908-1969) watercolor village winter scene signed lower right measures 13" x 20" frame and matte is 5"

      Bruce Kodner Galleries
    • Samuel Borensteinsold
      Oct. 30, 2019

      Samuel Borenstein

      Est: CAD2,000 - CAD3,000

      Samuel Borenstein CAS (1908-1969, Can.) (Ref.: Bénézit): Still life. Oil on canvas. Signed lower left. 22" x 26".

      Empire Auctions
    • Samuel Borensteinsold
      Jun. 19, 2019

      Samuel Borenstein

      Est: CAD4,000 - CAD6,000

      Samuel Borenstein CAS (1908-1969, Can.) (Ref.: Bénézit): Still life. Oil on canvas. Signed lower left. 22" x 26".

      Empire Auctions
    • SAMUEL BORENSTEIN CANADIAN 1908-1969sold
      Feb. 23, 2019

      SAMUEL BORENSTEIN CANADIAN 1908-1969

      Est: $2,500 - $3,500

      Village Winter Scene,oil on canvas board, 12 x 14 1/4 (30.5 x 36.2 cm) signed lower right , framed size 16 x 19 in (40.6 x 48.3 cm)

      Trinity International Auctions & Appraisals, LLC
    • SAMUEL BORENSTEIN, STILL LIFE, oil on canvas, 20 ins x 16 ins; 50.8 cms x 40.6 cmssold
      May. 28, 2018

      SAMUEL BORENSTEIN, STILL LIFE, oil on canvas, 20 ins x 16 ins; 50.8 cms x 40.6 cms

      Est: CAD8,000 - CAD10,000

      SAMUEL BORENSTEINSTILL LIFEoil on canvassigned and dated “ 7-25-60” 20 ins x 16 ins; 50.8 cms x 40.6 cms Provenance:Kastel Gallery Inc., MontrealPrivate Collection, OntarioLiterature:Joyce Borenstein, The Colours of My Father: A Portrait of Sam Borenstein (documentary film), The National Film Board of Canada, Quebec, 1992.“My father would come home at night with a wet canvas. Then, while we waited for supper to cook, we’d all sit on the couch and stare at it. The same way families today watch television. We’d look at his paintings.” So begins Joyce Borenstein’s 1992 documentary film “The Colours of My Father: A Portrait of Sam Borenstein”, a touching, animated glimpse into the life and work of her father, Samuel Borenstein. Trips to the Laurentians every summer with his family sparked a keen interest in wildflowers, which he would render in rich sensual colours and thick, generous layers of paint. Known for only wanting to paint genuine things, Borenstein let nature be his guide. Capturing the world around him with unfettered enthusiasm, he was more concerned with evoking a mood of feeling in his work rather than picturing the thing itself. This foundational freedom is clear in Borenstein’s Still Life from 1960. The dazzling orange and ultramarine of the wildflowers, gesturally and thickly painted form, contrast with the muted background, made flat and angular by the use of a palette knife. This juxtaposition adds energy to the painting and draws our eye insistently to the wild force in the centre. Speaking about his work, Borenstein explained:“How can I control myself when everything around me is so beautiful?”Estimate: $8,000–10,000

      Waddington's
    • BORENSTEIN Sam (Samuel) 1908-1969 Landscape Painting Tempera (watercolor) Signedsold
      Apr. 03, 2018

      BORENSTEIN Sam (Samuel) 1908-1969 Landscape Painting Tempera (watercolor) Signed

      Est: $750 - $1,000

      BORENSTEIN Sam (Samuel), 1908-1969 (Canada) Large landscape Painting tempera (watercolor) signed by Borenstein and titled on the back with date 1942. Not framed. Size: 23 x 29 in. Samuel Borenstein was a painter who was born in Kalvaria, Lithuania. His family moved to Suwalki, Poland in 1912, and immigrated to Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1921 where, except for two years in Ottawa (1922-24), he lived for the rest of his life and died. His mediums were oil, tempera, casein, watercolour, ink and gouache. His subjects were landscapes, urban streets, rural villages, portraits, figures and still life. The geographic locations are Montreal, the Laurentians, and the Gaspe Peninsula; all in Quebec. His styles were Fauvism and Plein-Air. His oils are recognized by their intense vibrant colour, distorted perspective and heavy impasto, often applied with a palette knife or exuberantly with a brush. Quotes: "... I had one aim, to paint life around me with lots of enthusiasm." and "Art is my religion. Just as one prays, so does one paint - for spiritual satisfaction." - Sam Borenstein. He is largely self-taught; not only as a painter but, he apparently had less than one year of any kind of formal schooling. He taught himself to read and write English well enough to try his hand at poetry, which he abandoned in 1930 when he devoted his artistic talents to painting. His formal art education consisted of a few sculpture classes with Elzear Soucy at the Monument National (Montreal) and Saturday sketch classes at John Young Johnstone's studio. His fellow artists particularly Alexander Bercovitch, Goodridge Roberts, Adam Sheriff Scott and Herman Heimlich (1904 - 1986) acted as critics and mentors. Lorne Bouchard, Alexander Young Jackson, Arthur Lismer, Henri Masson, Robert Pilot, Louis Muhlstock, Fritz Brandtner and Ernst Neumann were also friends and associates. The works of Edouard Manet, Maurice Utrillo, Maurice Vlaminck, Chaim Soutine and Vincent van Gogh are stated and evident influences. Ethnologist Marius Barbeau CC, FRSC (1883-1969), with whom Borenstein shared an interest in Quebec village life and folklore, was also a friend and associate. His travels included visiting Paris, Douarnenez (Brittany) and London for several months in 1939. Seventy canvases were painted on the trip. His lifetime production is estimated at 1,400 works. He was a member of the Contemporary Arts Society. He also exhibited with the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (1935 - 1964) and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1937 - 1957). His first solo show was at the Coffee House café in Montreal (1934). Subsequent solo shows were held at the Sidney Carter Art Gallery (1940), Galerie Walter Klinkhoff (1958, 61, 66 and 71) and Sir George Williams University, Montreal (1966). A major retrospective was mounted by the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario in 1974. The most recent (traveling) exhibition, "A Passion for Colour: Expressionist Art of Sam Borenstein", was organized by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in 2005. Sam Borenstein's work is in many private and public collections. Some of the public collections are the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa), Concordia University (Montreal), the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto), the Art Gallery of Hamilton (Ontario), the Museum of Quebec (Quebec City), the Winnipeg Art Gallery (Manitoba), the National Portrait Gallery (Ottawa) and the Hirshhorn Collection of the Smithsonian Institution (Washington) which has 15 of his works in its collection. There have been many newspaper and magazine articles that discuss him and his work; the first was in 1935 (The Canadian Forum, August). There are two biographies: Sam Borenstein: His Life and Work (1978), by William Kuhns and Leo Rosshandler; and Sam Borenstein (2005), by Jacques Des Rochers, Loren R. Lerner and Justina M. Barnicke, which was published in conjunction with the 2005 Montreal Museum of Fine Arts exhibition. There is also the 1991 Academy Award nominated movie Colours of My Father: A Portrait of Sam Borenstein, written and directed by his daughter Joyce Borenstein.

      Hidden Treasures Antiques & Fine Arts
    • Tempera Painting by Sam (Samuel) Borenstein 1908-1969 (Canada)sold
      Jan. 18, 2018

      Tempera Painting by Sam (Samuel) Borenstein 1908-1969 (Canada)

      Est: $800 - $1,000

      Tempera Painting by Sam (Samuel) Borenstein 1908-1969 (Canada) Large landscape Painting tempera (watercolor) signed by Borenstein and titled on the back with date 1942. Not framed. Size: 23 x 29 in. Samuel Borenstein was a painter who was born in Kalvaria, Lithuania. His family moved to Suwalki, Poland in 1912, and immigrated to Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1921 where, except for two years in Ottawa (1922-24), he lived for the rest of his life and died. His mediums were oil, tempera, casein, watercolour, ink and gouache. His subjects were landscapes, urban streets, rural villages, portraits, figures and still life. The geographic locations are Montreal, the Laurentians, and the Gaspe Peninsula; all in Quebec. His styles were Fauvism and Plein-Air. His oils are recognized by their intense vibrant colour, distorted perspective and heavy impasto, often applied with a palette knife or exuberantly with a brush. Quotes: "... I had one aim, to paint life around me with lots of enthusiasm." and "Art is my religion. Just as one prays, so does one paint - for spiritual satisfaction." - Sam Borenstein. He is largely self-taught; not only as a painter but, he apparently had less than one year of any kind of formal schooling. He taught himself to read and write English well enough to try his hand at poetry, which he abandoned in 1930 when he devoted his artistic talents to painting. His formal art education consisted of a few sculpture classes with Elzear Soucy at the Monument National (Montreal) and Saturday sketch classes at John Young Johnstone's studio. His fellow artists particularly Alexander Bercovitch, Goodridge Roberts, Adam Sheriff Scott and Herman Heimlich (1904 - 1986) acted as critics and mentors. Lorne Bouchard, Alexander Young Jackson, Arthur Lismer, Henri Masson, Robert Pilot, Louis Muhlstock, Fritz Brandtner and Ernst Neumann were also friends and associates. The works of Edouard Manet, Maurice Utrillo, Maurice Vlaminck, Chaim Soutine and Vincent van Gogh are stated and evident influences. Ethnologist Marius Barbeau CC, FRSC (1883-1969), with whom Borenstein shared an interest in Quebec village life and folklore, was also a friend and associate. His travels included visiting Paris, Douarnenez (Brittany) and London for several months in 1939. Seventy canvases were painted on the trip. His lifetime production is estimated at 1,400 works. He was a member of the Contemporary Arts Society. He also exhibited with the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (1935 - 1964) and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1937 - 1957). His first solo show was at the Coffee House caf‚ in Montreal (1934). Subsequent solo shows were held at the Sidney Carter Art Gallery (1940), Galerie Walter Klinkhoff (1958, 61, 66 and 71) and Sir George Williams University, Montreal (1966). A major retrospective was mounted by the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario in 1974. The most recent (traveling) exhibition, "A Passion for Colour: Expressionist Art of Sam Borenstein", was organized by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in 2005. Sam Borenstein's work is in many private and public collections. Some of the public collections are the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa), Concordia University (Montreal), the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto), the Art Gallery of Hamilton (Ontario), the Museum of Quebec (Quebec City), the Winnipeg Art Gallery (Manitoba), the National Portrait Gallery (Ottawa) and the Hirshhorn Collection of the Smithsonian Institution (Washington) which has 15 of his works in its collection. There have been many newspaper and magazine articles that discuss him and his work; the first was in 1935 (The Canadian Forum, August). There are two biographies: Sam Borenstein: His Life and Work (1978), by William Kuhns and Leo Rosshandler; and Sam Borenstein (2005), by Jacques Des Rochers, Loren R. Lerner and Justina M. Barnicke, which was published in conjunction with the 2005 Montreal Museum of Fine Arts exhibition. There is also the 1991 Academy Award nominated movie Colours of My Father: A Portrait of Sam Borenstein, written and directed by his daughter Joyce Borenstein.

      Hidden Treasures Antiques & Fine Arts
    • SAMUEL BORENSTEIN, CORNER GAS STATION, gouache on paper, 14 ins x 23.25 ins; 35.6 cms x 59.1 cmssold
      Nov. 20, 2017

      SAMUEL BORENSTEIN, CORNER GAS STATION, gouache on paper, 14 ins x 23.25 ins; 35.6 cms x 59.1 cms

      Est: CAD3,000 - CAD4,000

      SAMUEL BORENSTEINCORNER GAS STATIONgouache on papersigned and dated “May 1942” 14 ins x 23.25 ins; 35.6 cms x 59.1 cms Provenance:Private Collection, TorontoEstimate: $3,000–4,000

      Waddington's
    • SAMUEL BORENSTEIN, ON DORCHESTER STREET, MONTREAL, oil on board, 17.5 ins x 18 ins; 44.5 cms x 45.7 cmssold
      Nov. 20, 2017

      SAMUEL BORENSTEIN, ON DORCHESTER STREET, MONTREAL, oil on board, 17.5 ins x 18 ins; 44.5 cms x 45.7 cms

      Est: CAD10,000 - CAD15,000

      SAMUEL BORENSTEINON DORCHESTER STREET, MONTREALoil on boardsigned and dated 1936; inscribed “On Dorch St., Montreal” on the reverse 17.5 ins x 18 ins; 44.5 cms x 45.7 cms Provenance:Private Collection, QuebecSam Borenstein (1908-1969) was born in Lithuania and arrived in Montreal with his father and sister to join the rest of their family in 1921. He was encouraged to learn a trade, and by the early 1930s was working as a cutter in a Montreal textile factory. Borenstein, who began painting in 1930, was largely self-taught and inspired by the artists he befriended in local cafés, particularly the Russian painter, Alexander Bercovitch. He admired the European Expressionist painters (van Gogh, Soutine, Vlaminck), and was called the “Canadian Expressionist” based on his work from the later 1940s.In its subject matter (an urban scene) and free brushwork (the utility poles lean at precarious angles), this early painting anticipates Borenstein’s later work, whereas the artist later painted using bright colours in thick impasto with gestural brushwork, here he has applied muted tones in thin layers that allow the support (board) to show through. The view is southwest down Dorchester Boulevard in Montreal (now Boulevard René Lévesque) from around Avenue du Parc, just before a bend in the road. In the distance rises the Sun Life Building, the tallest edifice in Montreal when it was completed in 1931 until the 1960s.Estimate: $10,000–15,000

      Waddington's
    • Borenstein, Samuel (1908-1969) Country Road Laurentianssold
      Feb. 12, 2017

      Borenstein, Samuel (1908-1969) Country Road Laurentians

      Est: CAD2,500 - CAD3,000

      Gouache sur papier, signée en bas à droite Borenstein Gouache on paper, signed on lower right Borenstein 13” x 21 ½”; 33.02 x 54.61 cm

      Champagne Auctions
    • SAMUEL BORENSTEIN, MONTREAL - WINTER STREET SCENE, 1963, oil on board, 12 ins x 16 ins; 30.5 cms x 40.6 cmssold
      Nov. 24, 2014

      SAMUEL BORENSTEIN, MONTREAL - WINTER STREET SCENE, 1963, oil on board, 12 ins x 16 ins; 30.5 cms x 40.6 cms

      Est: CAD8,000 - CAD10,000

      SAMUEL BORENSTEINMONTREAL - WINTER STREET SCENE, 1963signed and dated '63; also titled and dated on the reverse, 12 ins x 16 ins; 30.5 cms x 40.6 cmsProvenance:Private Collection, OntarioLiterature:Esther Trépanier, Jewish Painters of Montreal: Witnesses of Their Time 1943-1948, Éditions de l'Homme, Montreal, 2008, page 236.Note:Borenstein studied under Sherriff Scott and John Y. Johnstone in Montreal in the mid 1920s and early 1930s and associated with artists such as Goodridge Roberts and Fritz Brandtner, exhibiting at the Art Association of Montreal with them.By the late 1940s, Borenstein had begun to develop the distinct style for which he is most known, "interpreting Montreal cityscapes and Laurentian villages with brilliant colours, exuberant brushwork and bold composition" as exemplified by this painting.

      Waddington's
    • SAMUEL BORENSTEINsold
      Jun. 04, 2014

      SAMUEL BORENSTEIN

      Est: CAD5,000 - CAD7,000

      CANADIAN, 1908-1969, Still Life, Oil on canvas, signed, 20 x 15 in, 51 x 38 cm.

      Walker's
    • BORENSTEIN, Samuel (1908-1969)sold
      May. 13, 2014

      BORENSTEIN, Samuel (1908-1969)

      Est: CAD8,000 - CAD10,000

      BORENSTEIN, Samuel (1908-1969) Still life with green vase Signed and dated on the lower left: Borenstein 58 61x51cm - 24x20"

      Iegor
    • SAMUEL BORENSTEINsold
      Dec. 05, 2013

      SAMUEL BORENSTEIN

      Est: CAD4,000 - CAD6,000

      SAMUEL BORENSTEIN STREET SCENE, EVENING, oil on board; signed 10 ins x 15.75 ins; 25.4 cms x 40 cms

      Waddington's
    • Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian mixed mediasold
      May. 15, 2013

      Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian mixed media

      Est: CAD8,000 - CAD12,000

      Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian mixed media on paper Ste. Marguerite Station 21 1/8 x 28 7/8 inches 53.7 x 73.3 centimeters signed and dated 1943 Literature:William Kuhns and Léo Rosshandler, Sam Borenstein, 1978, the related 1942 canvas entitled Ste. Marguerite Station reproduced page 91 Provenance:Louis and Rose Melzack Collection Private Collection, London, England Sainte-Marguerite Station is located in the Laurentians, a region beloved by Sam Borenstein. In the early 1940s, he began to travel there frequently, painting rural villages and landscapes. The quaint station, approaching train and delicate winter palette make this piece a charming example of his earlier work.

      Heffel
    • Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil onsold
      May. 15, 2013

      Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on

      Est: CAD15,000 - CAD25,000

      Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on canvas A Montreal Street 26 x 18 inches 66 x 45.7 centimeters signed and dated 1945 Literature:William Kuhns and Léo Rosshandler, Sam Borenstein, 1978, page 39 Provenance:Louis and Rose Melzack Collection Private Collection, London, England Sam Borenstein offered a unique painterly perspective on the Canadian landscape and cityscape. He was particularly influenced by the explosive, chaotic work of European masters Maurice Utrillo, Chaim Soutine and Vincent van Gogh. In relation to such inspirations, Borenstein wrote in his autobiographical notes: "It dawned on me that it would be necessary for me to create an alphabet and a language, a language that I also discovered would be foreign to anyone but me...People began to say he has talent but is uncontrolled. How does one control himself when one is so enthusiastic about what one sees?" By the mid-1940s, Borenstein was beginning to distance himself from his earlier representational works and develop this new alphabet and language". In this work, his excitement for his surroundings is obvious through the passionate - almost flamboyant - brush-strokes and ignited colour palette. A painterly earthquake is starting to rumble beneath the surface as the figures, trees and streets begin to sway. A Montreal Street serves as an important pre-cursor to the wildly Expressionist paintings that would emerge in the following years.

      Heffel
    • Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil onsold
      May. 15, 2013

      Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on

      Est: CAD15,000 - CAD25,000

      Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on canvas Pier by the Sea, Laurentian Mountain 24 x 20 1/4 inches 61 x 51.4 centimeters signed Provenance:Louis and Rose Melzack Collection Private Collection, London, England The rural Quebec landscape served as a great inspiration for Sam Borenstein throughout his career. In particular, the Laurentians were a subject that he would continually return to, first traveling there in the 1940s under the guidance of art dealer William Watson. He also traveled further northeast to the Laurentian Mountains, a region near the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. Pier by the Sea, Laurentian Mountain radiates with bold colour and movement, and in its strength, the work is vividly reminiscent of Borenstein's greatest influence, Dutch Post-Impressionist master Vincent van Gogh. Similar to van Gogh, Borenstein searched for his own painterly language and expression to portray the landscape he was so clearly moved by. The influence of van Gogh is palpable here, as Borenstein allows his enthusiasm for his subject to override formal technique. The water is particularly stirring, as the deep, greenish abyss of blue is highlighted by bold, textural accents of white and yellow. The final result is an emotionally charged, almost volatile work that exudes a vigorous energy.

      Heffel
    • Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil onsold
      May. 15, 2013

      Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on

      Est: CAD20,000 - CAD30,000

      Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on canvas Downtown Montreal 23 x 31 inches 58.4 x 78.7 centimeters signed and dated 1943 and on verso titled on the label Provenance:Louis and Rose Melzack Collection Private Collection, London, England Exhibited:Art Gallery of Hamilton, September - October, 1974 After surviving the war years in Lithuania, Sam Borenstein immigrated to Canada in 1921. Upon arrival in Montreal, he worked as a furrier and fabric cutter before pursuing painting, and applied in about 1926 to the École des beaux arts in Montreal, but was rejected. Nevertheless, he was committed to his practice and attended evening art classes for two years. However, his greatest education came from fellow Montreal artists - Adam Sherriff Scott, Herman Heimlich and Fritz Brandtner, amongst others. By the early 1940s, he was increasingly involved in the Montreal artistic milieu, but as exemplified here, his individual expression was gaining clarity. Great movement is beginning to sweep across the sky, almost pulling the trees away with it and thus acting as a sign of the expressive eruptions to follow in his later paintings. The shades of blues and purples and the almost deserted street evoke a moody atmosphere, as if a storm is brewing on the horizon. Downtown Montreal demonstrates a stage in Borenstein's gradual yet unbridled development in becoming one of Canada's most distinct Expressionists.

      Heffel
    • Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil onsold
      May. 15, 2013

      Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on

      Est: CAD20,000 - CAD30,000

      Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on canvas Falling Red Leaves 30 x 22 inches 76.2 x 55.9 centimeters signed and on verso titled and dated 1955 on a label Literature:William Kuhns and Léo Rosshandler, Sam Borenstein, 1978, reproduced page 65 Provenance:Louis and Rose Melzack Collection Private Collection, London, England Exhibited:Art Gallery of Hamilton, Sam Borenstein, September - October, 1974 The mid-1950s brought great change for Sam Borenstein, both artistically and personally. William Kuhns wrote, "As Borenstein's work of the fifties evolved, his strokes grew bolder, his colours more vivid, the effect more volatile...Perspective, so elaborately achieved in the earlier landscapes, often had a seething, insecure quality - as though the spaces themselves were vulnerable to the eruptions going on within a canvas." Borenstein and his wife, Judith, were in difficult financial circumstances at the time and Borenstein was forced to ask his friend, Montreal entrepreneur Louis Melzack, for assistance. Melzack and his wife, Rose, owned Classic Bookstore, a popular bookstore on St. Catherines Street, which also served as a cultural hub in Montreal. Melzack acquired 40 Borenstein paintings, which were hung and sold in the store, and as a result, the artist's work was introduced to a wider, elite audience. All the Borensteins in this sale, including Falling Red Leaves, are from the important Melzack collection.

      Heffel
    • Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian gouache on card Harbour Scenesold
      Mar. 28, 2013

      Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian gouache on card Harbour Scene

      Est: CAD4,000 - CAD6,000

      Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian gouache on card Harbour Scene 20 x 25 1/4 inches 50.8 x 64.1 centimeters signed Provenance:Louis and Rose Melzack Collection Private Collection, London, England

      Heffel
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