Frank Hans Johnston Sold at Auction Prices

Landscape painter, Illustrator, b. 1888 - d. 1949

Canadian artist Frank Hans Johnston helped found the Group of Seven in 1920; these were artists who focused primarily on painting national landscapes. A master of oil, watercolor, and tempera, Johnston wanted to expand his technique and subject matter, and broke from the group a year later. Shack in the Woods, his 1940 painting of a small cottage in a sunny, snow-blanketed forest, was a frequently recreated Frank Hans Johnston print.

Frank Hans Johnston's prints also include a series based on paintings commissioned in 1917 by the Canadian War Memorials, and these paintings depict Canadian pilots training before deployment. Impressionist-style paintings of Canada's landscapes, quaint country scenes, and lush meadows are repeating subjects in Frank Hans Johnston's paintings for sale. Grab your piece of natural history by buying a breathtaking landscape painting at auction or online.

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Sep. 07, 2023
FRANCIS HANS JOHNSTON (CANADIAN 1888-19490 A WOODED RIVER LANDSCAPE, WINTER
Est: £1,000 - £2,000
FRANCIS HANS JOHNSTON (CANADIAN 1888-19490 A WOODED RIVER LANDSCAPE, WINTER Signed, oil on board (20cm x 25.5cm (8in x 10in))
Lyon & Turnbull
Sep. 20, 2022
Francis Hans Johnston, ARCA, OSA, CSPWC (Canadian, 1888-1949) 'Epic of the North'
Est: £3,000 - £5,000
Francis Hans Johnston, ARCA, OSA, CSPWC (Canadian, 1888-1949) 'Epic of the North' signed 'Franz Johnston' (lower left); inscribed 'Epic of the North/by/Franz Johnston/A.R.C.A O.S.A.' (verso) gouache 37.8 x 25.7cm (14 7/8 x 10 1/8in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Apr. 22, 2022
Franz Hans Johnston oil on masonite
Est: $6,000 - $9,000
Franz Hans Johnston (Canada 1888-1949), oil on masonite, labeled verso The Beckoning of Spring, painted by Franz Johnston A.R.C.A. Wyebridge, Ontario, signed lower left, 12" x 16". This artist was an original member of the Canadian"Group of Seven". Competitive in-house shipping is available for this lot.
Pook & Pook Inc.
Mar. 28, 2022
"Porto Radium - Gt. Bear Lake", tempera paint on cardboard, signed FRANZ JOHNSTON - probably Franz H
Est: €7,000 - €10,500
"Porto Radium - Gt. Bear Lake", tempera paint on cardboard, signed FRANZ JOHNSTON - probably Franz Hans Johnston (1888-1949), dated March 1939 on the back, Dim. - 45 x 53 cm
Cabral Moncada Leilões
Sep. 19, 2021
Frank (Franz) Johnston (1888-1949) Canadian, O/B
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
Small, impressionistic plein air oil sketch on board, signed lower left, signed and dated verso 1918. Size: 6 x 8 in. Frank (Franz) Hans Johnston was active in Winnipeg and Toronto, Canada. Frank Johnston was briefly a member of the Group of Seven, led by Lawren Harris, which held to doctrines of painting that emphasized commitment to national subjects and spiritual interpretation of these subjects, frequently landscapes. Because of the more decorative tendencies of Johnston's work and his desire for creative independence, he fell away from the Group of Seven. Please contact Nic at [email protected] for an estimated shipping quote prior to bidding. Please note that all items are sold as is, and conditions should be asked prior to sale.
Sarasota Estate Auction
Sep. 19, 2021
Frank (Franz) Johnston (1888-1949) Canadian, O/B
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
Small, impressionistic plein air oil sketch on board, signed lower left, signed and dated verso 1918. Loss to upper right hand corner. Size: 6 x 8 in. Frank (Franz) Hans Johnston was active in Winnipeg and Toronto, Canada. Frank Johnston was briefly a member of the Group of Seven, led by Lawren Harris, which held to doctrines of painting that emphasized commitment to national subjects and spiritual interpretation of these subjects, frequently landscapes. Because of the more decorative tendencies of Johnston's work and his desire for creative independence, he fell away from the Group of Seven. Please contact Nic at [email protected] for an estimated shipping quote prior to bidding. Please note that all items are sold as is, and conditions should be asked prior to sale.
Sarasota Estate Auction
Feb. 08, 2021
Franz Johnston (Francis Hans Johnston) (Canadian, 1888-1949), "Western Sketchbooks"
Est: $50 - $100
First edition, 1970. Folio of 8 reproductions from Johnston's 1924 sketchbooks depicting Banff, Lake Louise, etc. Card folder printed on four sides. Foreward by Johnston's son and artist Paul Rodrik with biography of Franz Johnston on inside and verso of rear. In original glassine envelope. Johnston was associated with the Group of Seven.
Peter Estey Fine Art & Auctions
Nov. 14, 2020
FRANZ JOHNSTON - Pool of Blue, Long Lac
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
FRANZ JOHNSTON, R.C.A. (Canadian, 1888-1949) "Pool of Blue, Long Lac" - Oil on board. Signed lower left, framed. 10 x 12 in.
Saskatchewan Network for Art Collecting
Sep. 17, 2020
FRANK HANS JOHNSTON, O.S.A., R.C.A., MOUNT ATHABASCA AND ANDROMEDA, oil on board, 20 ins x 42.25 ins; 50.8 cms x 107.3 cms
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
FRANK HANS JOHNSTON, O.S.A., R.C.A. MOUNT ATHABASCA AND ANDROMEDA oil on board signed; inscribed "From Franz Johnston, Balm Beach - Georgian Bay, Ont." on the reverse 20 ins x 42.25 ins; 50.8 cms x 107.3 cms Provenance: Joyner Fine Art, November 1993, lot 93 as "View From Banff" Private Collection, Toronto 1924 was a watershed year for art depicting the Canadian Rockies. Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Arthur Lismer, and J.E.H. MacDonald were all painting in various places between Banff and Jasper, at various times. In July of that year, the Canadian Pacific Railway sent Frank H. Johnston west from Winnipeg, where he was living at the time, on a sketching trip to create advertising material for their promotional brochures. We also know that he visited Jasper, which was of interest to the CPR and had been opened up by their regional competitor the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in 1911. But Jasper National Park is huge, and the mountains of its southern regions, which this fine work depicts, were a much more challenging venture to reach. Previously described as “View from Banff” and “Lake O’Hara,” this work in fact depicts Mount Athabasca, the centerpiece of the Columbia Icefields. Mount Andromeda shows to the right of Athabasca, both seen from a location high up along Wilcox Pass. Wilcox Pass is an historic route and at the time, was the main trail linking Banff and Jasper towns. There was no road or train line that would have given Johnston access to this pass until The Glacier Trail (now the Icefields Parkway) was completed in 1940. Johnston having accessed this remote area, either on his 1924 trip or later in 1930, is indeed remarkable. The CPR headed west at Field, some 146 kilometers south of the Icefields, and the Grand Trunk Pacific line in Jasper - which was by then known as the Canadian National Railway, was 106 kilometres north west. Travelling the Wilcox Pass route would have required a guide and pack train, and would have taken several days. It’s possible and perhaps more likely that the work was executed from photographs provided by others, and the large format of the work certainly suggests its use as illustrative material, perhaps as a banner or masthead on a brochure or poster. It is simply too large to have been a practical field study. While there are posters for both the CPR and the CNR in Johnson’s exhibition records in 1925, there are no additional titles of work that can be located in the vicinity of Wilcox Pass. The work’s support, however, suggests a more durable intention than illustration art, which was often discarded after use, thus inexpensive papers and boards were used. The work’s support of pressed board and execution in oil begs the question of its intention. Regardless of its source or use, it is a sundrenched, fresh, and uniquely appealing work depicting a spectacular high-alpine location in the Rockies of Jasper National Park. One that brings a new set of questions about the extent of Johnston’s travels in the Rockies to the fore. We thank Lisa Christensen for contributing this essay. Ms. Christenten is the past Director of Heffel Fine Art Auction House’s Calgary office, Curator of Mountain Culture at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, and a freelance writer and guide. She is the author of four award-winning books on the mountainscape art history of Canada. Estimate: $15,000–20,000
Waddington's
Jul. 24, 2020
Francis (Franz) Hans Johnston, Canadian (1888-1949), Changing Seasons, oil on board, 7 x 9 in. (17.8 x 22.9 cm)
Est: $2,500 - $3,500
Francis (Franz) Hans Johnston Canadian (1888-1949) changing seasons oil on board signed lower left 7 x 9 in. (17.8 x 22.9 cm)
Maynards Fine Art & Antiques
Dec. 08, 2019
Franz Johnston, (Canadian, 1888-1949), The Sapphire, oil on board, 12" x 16"
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Franz Johnston (Canadian, 1888-1949) The Sapphire oil on board signed lower left 12" x 16" Catalog Note: The location pictured is on the Rouge River in Argenteuil, Quebec, a few miles north of the Ottawa River in late October.
Toomey & Co. Auctioneers
Sep. 08, 2019
Frank (Franz) Johnston - High Park
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
High Park - signed gouache, 7" x 9" (framed)
Westbridge Fine Art Auction House
Jul. 10, 2019
Frank Hans (Franz) Johnston, Canadian (1888-1949), Sunlight Through Trees, oil on board, 11 7/8 x 18 in. (30.2 x 45.7 cm)
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
signed Franz Johnston lower right
Maynards Fine Art & Antiques
Jun. 09, 2019
Franz Johnston, (Canadian, 1888-1949), Prelude to Winter, oil on board, 16" x 20"
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Franz Johnston (Canadian, 1888-1949) Prelude to Winter oil on board signed lower left 16" x 20" Catalog Note: The subject pictured is to be found on the Wye River in Midland, Ontario, not far from where it empties into Georgian Bay near Sainte-Marie among the Hurons at Martyrs Shrine.
Toomey & Co. Auctioneers
Jun. 09, 2019
Franz Johnston, (Canadian, 1888-1949), The Sapphire, oil on board, 12" x 16"
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Franz Johnston (Canadian, 1888-1949) The Sapphire oil on board signed lower left 12" x 16" Catalog Note: The subject pictured is to be found on the Rouge River in Argenteuil, Quebec, a few miles north of the Ottawa River in late October.
Toomey & Co. Auctioneers
May. 14, 2019
FRANZ JOHNSTON A.R.C.A., O.S.A. (CANADIAN 1888-1949) BANFF, AL'TA 23cm x 33cm (9in x 13in)
Est: £3,000 - £5,000
FRANZ JOHNSTON A.R.C.A., O.S.A. (CANADIAN 1888-1949) BANFF, AL'TA Signed, oil on board 23cm x 33cm (9in x 13in)
Lyon & Turnbull
Apr. 24, 2019
Frank Hans (Franz) Johnston, Canadian (1888 - 1949), Sunlight Through Trees, oil on board, 11 7/8 x 18 in. (30.2 x 45.7 cm)
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
signed Franz Johnston lower right
Maynards Fine Art & Antiques
Mar. 19, 2019
Johnston, Franz - The open fields - C. 1930
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
Johnston, Franz (1888-1949) The open fields - C. 1930 Huile sur carton, signé en bas à gauche Franz Johnston Oil on cardboard, signed on lower left Franz Johnston 5 1/2" x 6 1/2" - 13.97 x 16.51 cm Rapport de condition : Sur demande, nous nous ferons un plaisir de répondre à vos question de manière détaillée. Condition Report : Upon request, We will gladly answer all your inquiries in a detailed manner.
Champagne Auctions
Dec. 16, 2018
Franz Johnston - The Golden Road
Est: $7,000 - $9,000
The Golden Road (oil on board, 18" x 24", framed)
Westbridge Fine Art Auction House
Dec. 02, 2018
Franz Johnston, (Canadian, 1888-1949), Northern Express, oil on board, 19 1/4" x 15"
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Franz Johnston (Canadian, 1888-1949) Northern Express oil on board signed lower left signed and titled on verso 19 1/4" x 15"
Toomey & Co. Auctioneers
Jun. 01, 2018
Frank (Franz) Hans Johnston, Canadian (1888-1949), Winter Sun, oil on board, 6 x 8 in. (15.2 x 20.3 cm)
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
signed
Maynards Fine Art & Antiques
May. 28, 2018
FRANK HANS JOHNSTON, O.S.A., A.R.C.A., A FRIENDLY ROAD, oil on masonite, 20 ins x 24 ins; 50.8 cms x 61 cms
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
FRANK HANS JOHNSTON, O.S.A., A.R.C.A.A FRIENDLY ROADoil on masonitesigned; also signed and titled on the reverse 20 ins x 24 ins; 50.8 cms x 61 cms Provenance:Galerie Bernard Desroches, Montreal Pagurian Press Limited, TorontoPrivate Collection, TorontoEstimate: $10,000–15,000
Waddington's
May. 28, 2018
FRANK HANS JOHNSTON, O.S.A., A.R.C.A., THE OPAL POOL, oil on masonite, 24.5 ins x 29.5 ins; 62.2 cms x 74.9 cms
Est: $20,000 - $25,000
FRANK HANS JOHNSTON, O.S.A., A.R.C.A.THE OPAL POOLoil on masonitesigned 24.5 ins x 29.5 ins; 62.2 cms x 74.9 cms Provenance:Private Collection, CalgaryLiterature:Roger Burford Mason, A Grand Eye for Glory: A Life of Franz Johnston, Dundurn Press, Toronto and Oxford, 1998, page 11. Frank Hans Johnston (1888-1949) was a versatile and prolific painter whose landscapes have shaped our collective imagination of what constitutes the canon of early 20th century Canadian painting. Johnston was academically trained and worked for a time as a commercial artist at the Toronto based design firm, Grip Limited, where he met a number of other artists with whom he would go on to form the Group of Seven in 1920. While he would soon break from the Group, his dedication to the natural landscape grew out of the shared experiences and wilderness expeditions in those early years of burgeoning nationalism and modernism in Canada. His vast body of work demonstrates an array of artistic styles but largely favours a more decorative aesthetic, though never without depth or a keen eye for detail. This is evidenced in the painting The Opal Pool, where Johnston’s careful play of light and shadow evokes the setting sun and the silent and enduring beauty of a forest river. The precise depiction of perspective and snow, two notoriously difficult elements to paint well, are the result of excellent academic training undertaken by Johnston. Winter in Canada is long and lingering, but Johnston manages to transform this bleak season into one of imagination, invitation and even nostalgia for the carefree days of childhood adventures in the great outdoors. Estimate: $20,000–25,000
Waddington's
May. 10, 2018
FRANZ (FRANK) HANS JOHNSTON (CANADIAN, 1888-1949), SUNSET GLORY, XMAS CARD COLOUR SILKSCREEN; SIGNED IN IMAGE LOWER RIGHT, TITLED IN PRINT INSIDE AND BACK OF CARD (Silkscreen, 3.5” x 4”) (Card, 5.8” x 5”) Note: COUTTS GREETING CARD - PRINTERS
Est: $150 - $200
FRANZ (FRANK) HANS JOHNSTON (CANADIAN, 1888-1949) SUNSET GLORYXMAS CARD COLOUR SILKSCREEN; SIGNED IN IMAGE LOWER RIGHT, TITLED IN PRINT INSIDE AND BACK OF CARD (Silkscreen, 3.5” x 4”) (Card, 5.8” x 5”) Note: COUTTS GREETING CARD - PRINTERS OF CANADA SERIES.Estimate: $150—200
Waddington's