Samuel Borenstein Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Samuel Borenstein Art Value Price Guide

Apr. 15, 2025
Borenstein, Samuel - "Montreal, March 21st 1963" - 1963
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
Borenstein, Samuel (1908-1969) "Montréal, March 21st 1963" (1963) Aquarelle et gouache sur papier signée, datée et titrée en bas à droite Sam Borenstein 1963 Provenance; Collection Jean Drapeau, offert par Mme Judith Borenstein à M. Jean Drapeau Dimension: 21" x 25" 53 x 63.5 cm ------------- Borenstein, Samuel (1908-1969) "Montréal, March 21st 1963" (1963) Watercolor and gouache on paper, signed, dated, and titled at the bottom right Sam Borenstein 1963. Provenance: Collection Jean Drapeau, offered by Mrs. Judith Borenstein to Mr. Jean Drapeau. Dimension: 21" x 25" 53 x 63.5 cm
Champagne Auctions
Oct. 10, 2024
Samuel Borenstein (1908-1969), STILL LIFE, 1960
Est: $6,500 - $7,500
Samuel Borenstein (1908-1969), Canadian STILL LIFE, 1960 signed and dated "7 25 60" Estimate: $6,500—7,500 CAD
Waddington's
Sep. 21, 2024
Samuel Borenstein Oil Painting Country Landscape
Est: $400 - $15,000
Samuel Borenstein (Canadian, 1908 - 1969) Oil on board Painting, Country Landscape. Signed lower right in red. Board measures 12 inches H x 24 W, frame measures 19 x 31 inches.
Kavanagh Auctions
Mar. 26, 2024
Borenstein, Samuel - Paysage
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Borenstein, Samuel (1908-1969) Paysage Description (FR): Huile sur panneau signee en bas a droite Borenstein. Description (EN): Oil on board signed on the lower right Borenstein. Dimension (PO): 12" x 24" Dimension (CM): 30 x 61 cm Rapport de condition: Sur demande, nous nous ferons un plaisir de rÃ©pondre Ã vos questions de maniÃ¨re dÃ©taillÃ©e. Condition report: Upon request, We will gladly answer all your inquiries in a detailed manner.
Champagne Auctions
Mar. 13, 2024
Samuel Borenstein, Canadian 1908-1969, Marigolds in Vase, Oil on Board, Sight size: 9-1/2"h x 7-1/2"w, Overall: 11-1/4"h x 9-1/4"w
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
Samuel Borenstein Canadian, 1908-1969 Marigolds in Vase Oil on Board Signed l.l.
Nye & Company
Feb. 17, 2024
Sam Borenstein Landscape Painting
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Artist/Designer; Manufacturer: Sam Borenstein (Canadian, 1908-1969) Marking(s); notes: signed; 1950 Materials: oil on canvas Dimensions (H, W, D): 18"h, 24"w; 26"h, 31.75"w frame Additional Information: Work is titled "Cartierville." Provenance: Private Collection, Boynton Beach, Florida, by descent. Originally received in lieu of a debt while the former owner lived in Canada, the work has been in their collection since the 1960s.
Palm Beach Modern Auctions
Mar. 28, 2023
Borenstein, Samuel - Landscape
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
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
Oct. 25, 2022
Borenstein, Samuel - Portrait d'homme - 1954
Est: $1,500 - $2,000
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
May. 24, 2022
Borenstein, Samuel - Laurentian landscape - 1939
Est: $3,000 - $4,000
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
Mar. 15, 2022
Borenstein, Sam - Paysage - 1932
Est: $3,000 - $8,000
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
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
Oct. 30, 2019
Samuel Borenstein
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Samuel Borenstein CAS (1908-1969, Can.) (Ref.: Bénézit): Still life. Oil on canvas. Signed lower left. 22" x 26".
Empire Auctions
Jun. 19, 2019
Samuel Borenstein
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
Samuel Borenstein CAS (1908-1969, Can.) (Ref.: Bénézit): Still life. Oil on canvas. Signed lower left. 22" x 26".
Empire Auctions
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
May. 28, 2018
SAMUEL BORENSTEIN, STILL LIFE, oil on canvas, 20 ins x 16 ins; 50.8 cms x 40.6 cms
Est: $8,000 - $10,000
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
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
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
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: $3,000 - $4,000
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
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: $10,000 - $15,000
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
Feb. 12, 2017
Borenstein, Samuel (1908-1969) Country Road Laurentians
Est: $2,500 - $3,000
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
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: $8,000 - $10,000
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
Jun. 04, 2014
SAMUEL BORENSTEIN
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
CANADIAN, 1908-1969, Still Life, Oil on canvas, signed, 20 x 15 in, 51 x 38 cm.
Walker's
May. 13, 2014
BORENSTEIN, Samuel (1908-1969)
Est: $8,000 - $10,000
BORENSTEIN, Samuel (1908-1969) Still life with green vase Signed and dated on the lower left: Borenstein 58 61x51cm - 24x20"
Iegor
Dec. 05, 2013
SAMUEL BORENSTEIN
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
SAMUEL BORENSTEIN STREET SCENE, EVENING, oil on board; signed 10 ins x 15.75 ins; 25.4 cms x 40 cms
Waddington's
May. 15, 2013
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian mixed media
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
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
May. 15, 2013
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
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
May. 15, 2013
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
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
May. 15, 2013
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
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
May. 15, 2013
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
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
Mar. 28, 2013
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian gouache on card Harbour Scene
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
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
Mar. 28, 2013
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian gouache on card Country Road with Two Figures
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian gouache on card Country Road with Two Figures 25 x 14 inches 63.5 x 35.6 centimeters signed Provenance:Louis and Rose Melzack Collection Private Collection, London, England
Heffel
Nov. 29, 2012
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on
Est: $9,000 - $12,000
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on board Aberdeen Ave., Westmount, PQ 12 x 16 inches 30.5 x 40.6 centimeters signed and on verso signed, titled, dated Dec. 8, 1964 and inscribed by the artist ""Not for Sale"" Provenance:Kastel Gallery, Montreal Galerie Walter Klinkhoff Inc., Montreal Private Collection, Montreal
Heffel
Nov. 22, 2012
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on canvas Laurentian Scene 19 x 31 1/8 inches 48.3 x 79 centimeters signed Literature:William Kuhns and Leo Rosshandler, Sam Borenstein, 1978, pages 39 and 50 Provenance:Private Collection, Montreal After surviving the war years in Lithuania, Sam Borenstein emigrated to Montreal in 1921. While there, he sought artistic direction in the work of European artists that he admired, such as Vincent van Gogh, Maurice Utrillo and Chaim Soutine, whose explosive, chaotic work greatly stirred him. Borenstein had occasionally visited the Laurentians, but in the early 1940s began to travel there frequently in the summers, painting rural villages. By the late 1950s he had rented an old schoolhouse at Lac Brûlé, and kept a studio there. The Laurentians unleashed Borenstein's palette - he worked in a frenzy of bright colours. His passionate nature is clearly perceived in the slashing, expressionist brush-strokes that threaten to dematerialize these rural houses on a hill. Through his tempestuous and daring technique, the viewer can feel, as William Kuhns writes, "a primal sense of the Laurentians.....Borenstein's sense of a world gusting from within." This energized, richly coloured and textured Laurentians work is the epitome of Borenstein's statement, "How does one control himself when one is so enthusiastic about what one sees?"
Heffel
Sep. 29, 2011
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on board Bonaventure Island, Percé, Quebec
Est: $4,000 - $5,000
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on board Bonaventure Island, Percé, Quebec 7 1/2 x 30 inches 19 x 76.2 centimeters on verso signed, titled and dated 1942 Provenance:Private Collection, Ontario
Heffel
Jun. 01, 2011
Samuel Borenstein
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Canadian ~ 1908-1969 CASGaspe CoastlineOil on board, signed; titled & dated '5612 x 24 IN, 30.5 x 61 CM
Walker's
May. 27, 2011
SAMUEL BORENSTEIN, STORMY LANDSCAPE WITH FARMHOUSE, gouache, 22 ins x 28 ins; 55 cms x 70 cms
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
SAMUEL BORENSTEIN, STORMY LANDSCAPE WITH FARMHOUSE, gouache; titled and dated 1954 on the reverse. 22 ins x 28 ins; 55 cms x 70 cms. rovenance: Dr. Elliott Emanuel, Montreal. Galerie Walter Klinkhoff Inc., Montreal. Private Collection, Ontario. Literature: "Musings: A Canadian Painter", Canadian Medical Association Journal, Ottawa, November 19, 1977, pages 204-205. Note: One of the principal themes of Montreal's Samuel Borenstein was that of scenes painted in the Laurentians, bursting with energy and colour. In this arresting work, Borenstein obviously relished a subject that could be painted to look at the same time recognizable and timeless. His treatment of paint, handling gouache almost like oil, forays into abstraction and evocative stretches of pure painting. Borenstein always teetered on the edge of abstraction and never more so than here. However, at the same time, the artist took lessons from one of the great European "isms," Expressionism, applying its bright, sometimes arbitrary colour and slashing brushwork to portray the figure, urban buildings and roads, trees, mountains and sky. Stormy Landscape With Farmhouse was once part of the private collection of Dr. Emanuel Elliott, a friend and admirer of Borenstein's work. In November of 1977, Elliott contributed Musings: A Canadian Painter to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the doctor displaying his deep appreciation for Borenstein's work throughout the article, exclaiming, "His pictures are so powerful that they are difficult to hang beside the work of others, though a roomful has a blazing authenticity." Stormy Landscape With Farmhouse is one of his most dashing and important works, and its bold way with images - a kind of loaded nonchalance - makes it something of an apocalyptic anthem. It was one of the works which appeared in the Film on Borenstein by his daughter, Joyce Borenstein, The Colours of My Father: A Portrait of Sam Borenstein (1958). We would like to thank art historian, Joan Murray, for contributing the foregoing essay.
Waddington's
May. 17, 2011
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on canvas Street Scene 18 x 24 inches 45.7 x 61 centimeters signed Provenance:Acquired directly from the Artist circa 1958 - 1960 by the present Private Collection, Montreal In 1921, Sam Borenstein escaped the aftermath of war in Europe by emigrating to Canada from Poland. Montreal was his studio base until he moved to Lac Brûlé in the Laurentians, also painting in nearby towns such as Val-David, Lac Marois and Ste-Agathe. Borenstein was known for his fiery temperament, and he greatly admired the outrageous, turbulent work of Chaim Soutine and the passion and vigour of Vincent van Gogh. Friends with Group of Seven artist A.Y. Jackson, he spent much time with him in the Laurentians, exploring villages and painting together. However, Borenstein had developed his own unique painterly language, and an exuberant energy was at the core of his work. In Street Scene, he took the elements of a typical Quebec town and transformed them through the use of a strong colour palette and passionate, expressionist brush-strokes. The rich blue of the sky, foreground house and road gives the painting a liquid, flowing sensation throughout. Street Scene is an outstanding example of Borenstein's fervid approach to art, which he considered his religion - his source of spiritual sustenance. The Yeshiva University Museum in New York is presenting a major retrospective exhibition entitled Sam Borenstein and the Colors of Montreal from February 6 to May 8, 2011.
Heffel
Feb. 24, 2011
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on board White House, Gaspésie
Est: $3,000 - $4,000
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on board White House, Gaspésie 14 x 24 inches 35.6 x 61 centimeters signed and dated 1946 Provenance: Private Collection, Nova Scotia Please note: this work is unframed.
Heffel
Feb. 24, 2011
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian gouache on card Préfontaine, Québec, Early Summer
Est: $3,000 - $4,000
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian gouache on card Préfontaine, Québec, Early Summer 15 x 24 1/4 inches 38.1 x 61.6 centimeters signed and dated 1942 and on verso signed and titled Provenance: Private Collection, Nova Scotia Please note: this work is unframed.
Heffel
Nov. 27, 2010
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian gouache on
Est: $3,000 - $4,000
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian gouache on card The Village 15 x 30 inches 38.1 x 76.2 centimeters signed twice Provenance:Private Collection, Ontario
Heffel
Jun. 10, 2010
RITA MOUNT, R.C.A. MONSIEUR RENE BOILEAU, oil on
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
RITA MOUNT, R.C.A. MONSIEUR RENE BOILEAU, oil on board 5 1/2 ins x 5 1/2 ins; 13.8 cms x 13.8 cms
Waddington's
Jun. 10, 2010
SAMUEL BORENSTEIN PORTRAIT OF RACHEL, oil on
Est: $1,500 - $2,000
SAMUEL BORENSTEIN PORTRAIT OF RACHEL, oil on canvas; signed 24 ins x 20 ins; 60 cms x 50 cms
Waddington's
Jun. 02, 2010
Painting by Samuel Borenstein
Est: $18,000 - $24,000
Canadian (1908-1969), Quebec Village with Figures, Oil on canvas, signed, painted circa 1959. 18 x 24 IN, 45.5 x 61 CM
Walker's
Jun. 01, 2010
SAMUEL BORENSTEIN, COUNTRY VILLAGE, gouache, 24 1/2 ins x 30 ins; 61.3 cms x 75 cms
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
SAMUEL BORENSTEINCOUNTRY VILLAGE, gouache; signed and dated /38 24 1/2 ins x 30 ins; 61.3 cms x 75 cms
Waddington's
May. 29, 2010
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on canvas on board Shed 20 1/2 x 29 inches 52.1 x 73.7 centimeters signed Provenance:Acquired directly from the Artist By descent to the present Private Collection, New York
Heffel
May. 29, 2010
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on canvas on board Montreal Street 15 1/2 x 30 inches 39.4 x 76.2 centimeters signed and dated 1938 Provenance:Acquired directly from the Artist By descent to the present Private Collection, New York
Heffel
May. 26, 2010
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on
Est: $12,000 - $16,000
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on board Ste-Agathe 12 x 24 inches 30.5 x 61 centimeters signed and dated 1965 and on verso titled on the gallery label Provenance:Galerie Walter Klinkhoff Inc., Montreal Private Collection, Montreal
Heffel
May. 26, 2010
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
Samuel Borenstein 1908 - 1969 Canadian oil on canvas Summer, Ste-Agathe 18 x 24 inches 45.7 x 61 centimeters signed and on verso titled on the gallery label Literature:William Kuhns and Léo Rosshandler, Sam Borenstein, 1978, page 62 Provenance:Galerie Walter Klinkhoff Inc., Montreal Private Collection, Vancouver Born in Lithuania, Sam Borenstein emigrated to Montreal in 1921. In 1939, he traveled to Paris, desiring to experience the work of Vincent Van Gogh, Maurice de Vlaminck and Chaim Soutine. In Van Gogh, Borenstein identified with a passionate spirit who risked everything for his art, and in Soutine, a powerful expressionism. When Borenstein returned to Montreal, it was with the influence of Fauvism and Expressionism resonating in his work. Quebec's villages and rural landscapes were the lifeblood of Borenstein's paintings, and in the early 1960s Ste-Agathe was often his subject, as it was within a few miles of the Lac Brûlé schoolhouse where he lived. The perspective of land abruptly rising was a favourite of Borenstein, pulling the viewer up into the sky, as in this work. His expressionist brush-stroke is in full force here, as is the brilliance of his colour palette on this sun-drenched day. Of the exuberance of his work, William Kuhns wrote, "His paintings burst with gusting energies....Perspective, scale, line and form.....became seething, elusive elements of a tumultuous vision.....in which a familiar landscape rippled, quaked and roared from within."
Heffel