Claude Tousignant
Montreal, Governor General Award Winner, Officer of the Order of Canada
“Having the Artist’s Resale Right would be more fair for artists. You work over several years and it’s inevitable that your previous pieces increase in value. Why shouldn’t the artist benefit from that?”
Accélérateur Chromatique 90
Resold: November 2012
Price: $110,000
What he would have received: $5,500
Christopher Pratt
Mount Camel, NL, Companion of the Order of Canada
“I would welcome the provisions of the Artist’s Resale Right.”
Landing
Resold: May 2012
Price: $198,900
What he would have received: $9,945
David Blackwood
Port Hope, ON, Member of the Order of Canada
“Artist’s Resale Right is very, very important. Canada should be the role model for artists’ rights.”
Ephraim Kelloways Red Door
Resold: May 2012
Price: $64,900
What he would have received: $3,717
Michael Snow
Toronto, Governor General Award Winner, Companion of the Order of Canada
“The idea of the Artist’s Resale Right is a good one. People should be sympathetic to this.”
Sideways
Resold: November 2011
Price: $175,500
What he would have received: $8,775
Marcel Barbeau (1925 – 2016)
Montreal, Governor General Award Winner, Officer of the Order of Canada
“One of the works I produced in 1956, which I had given to a friend was sold by his heir at auction for $75,000. I did not receive one cent from this sale. Others are getting rich on my works, while my situation remains very insecure at 85 years of age.”
Ouvri
Resold: May 2008
Price: $75,000
What he would have received: $3,750
Originally given to a friend by M. Barbeau
Kenojuak Ashevak (1927 – 2013)
Cape Dorset, Governor General Award Winner, Companion of the Order of Canada
“Having lost my husband I had to learn to be the mother and father; I used my skill as an artist. I have learned to earn money for my dear children, and I am very grateful that I have been able to provide for my family through my drawings and carvings. I would like the idea of the Artist’s Resale Right. That would be ideal and should be encouraged. It would be so much better; those artists would benefit more and get more out of their work.”
Enchanted Owl
Resold: November 2018
Price: $185,500
What she would have received: $9,275
Original selling price: $24
Mary Pratt (1935 – 2018)
Newfoundland, Companion of the Order of Canada
“I have seen my work escalate in value by quite a big percentage. A painting done in 1966 fetched $40 and is valued now at $20,000. As we get older it gets harder and harder to find the energy to produce enough work to maintain a decent living.”
Gold Pear in Red
Resold: 2004
Price: $47,500
What she would have received: $2,375
Daphne Odjig (1919 – 2016)
Kelowna, Governor General Award Winner, Member of the Order of Canada
“This is a wonderful way for artists to benefit from their hard work and dedication to, in many cases, their life’s work. In my case it was not until later in life that I have achieved a semblance of success, and at 92 yrs of age and surviving on a small pension and returns on dwindling investments it would definitely have been helpful to have had a small stream of extra income.”
The Embrace
Sold: November 2011
Price: $29,250
What she would have received: $1,462
Joe Fafard (1942 – 2019)
Lumsden, SK, Officer of the Order of Canada
“I am in full support of the modest proposal that artists have resale rights. It seems very little to ask when you consider that the artist, through his or her efforts over many years, is largely responsible for the increased value of their work. Many of the early works were sold at very low prices because the artist had not developed a reputation. Over many or a few years, some artists, through diligence and hard work, manage to increase the value of their market many fold. A buyer reselling a work may experience a windfall or at least a handsome profit. Sharing such a windfall with the artist who is largely responsible for this happy event with a modest 5% return to the artist seems less than generous to me, but let’s start there.”
The Inventor on His Invention
Resold: November 2011
Price: $48,000
What he would have received: $3,982
Original selling price: Approximately $15,000
See also What People Are Saying, Impact on Artists, and Frequently Asked Questions about the Artist’s Resale Right.