William Kurelek
(1927 - 1977) RCA
Previously Sold Works
WILLIAM KURELEK
Hot Day in Kensington Market
mixed media on board
signed with monogram and dated 1972 lower right; titled and inscribed “from ‘Toronto’ series” on the reverse of the framing
24 x 30 ins ( 61 x 76.2 cms )
Sold for $472,000.00
Sale date: May 29th 2018
WILLIAM KURELEK
Hauling Hay
mixed media on board
signed with monogram and dated 1967 lower right
10.5 x 20 ins ( 26.7 x 50.8 cms )
Sold for $94,400.00
Sale date: May 29th 2018
WILLIAM KURELEK
Threshing Outfit Being Brought Lunch
mixed media on board
signed with monogram and dated 1972 lower right; titled on the reverse
5 x 15.5 ins ( 12.7 x 39.4 cms )
Sold for $82,600.00
Sale date: November 20th 2018
WILLIAM KURELEK
Stop Thief!
mixed media on board
signed with monogram and dated 1974 lower right; titled on the reverse
7.25 x 8.75 ins ( 18.4 x 22.2 cms )
Sold for $34,500.00
Sale date: May 31st 2016
WILLIAM KURELEK
Candy Floss Clouds
oil on board
signed with monogram and dated 1977 lower right; titled on the reverse
20 x 20 ins ( 50.8 x 50.8 cms )
Sold for $34,500.00
Sale date: November 22nd 2016
WILLIAM KURELEK
Arrived Too Early
mixed media on board
signed and dated 1974 lower right; titled on the reverse
12.25 x 12.25 ins ( 31.1 x 31.1 cms )
Sold for $29,900.00
Sale date: November 23rd 2017
WILLIAM KURELEK
I Hate Water (A Cat’s Loss of Dignity)
mixed media on board
signed with monogram lower right; titled on the frame and on the reverse
7.75 x 11.5 ins ( 19.7 x 29.2 cms )
Sold for $25,300.00
Sale date: November 23rd 2017
WILLIAM KURELEK
Judas in Hell
mixed media on paper
dated 1961 on the Isaac’s Gallery label verso; titled on a remnant of the original framing (attached verso)
19.25 x 19 ins ( 48.9 x 48.3 cms ) ( subject )
Sold for $24,780.00
Sale date: November 20th 2018
WILLIAM KURELEK
Snow Showers and Horses Foraging
gouache
signed with monogram and dated 1966 lower right
14 x 18.75 ins ( 35.6 x 47.6 cms )
Sold for $23,000.00
Sale date: May 31st 2016
WILLIAM KURELEK
Geese Flying South, Coniston, Ontario
mixed media on board
signed with monogram and dated 1966 lower right
12.5 x 24.25 ins ( 31.8 x 61.6 cms )
Sold for $23,000.00
Sale date: November 22nd 2016
WILLIAM KURELEK
Yelling at Young Mosquitos in Rain Barrel
mixed media on board
signed with monogram and dated 1967 lower right; titled on the reverse of the framing
16.5 x 20.75 ins ( 41.9 x 52.7 cms )
Sold for $23,600.00
Sale date: November 20th 2018
WILLIAM KURELEK
Pornographic Reading (Temptations in the Desert Series)
mixed media on board
signed with initials and dated 1975 lower right
20 x 16 ins ( 50.8 x 40.6 cms )
Sold for $18,400.00
Sale date: November 23rd 2017
WILLIAM KURELEK
The Killing Instinct (Temptations in the Desert Series)
mixed media on board
signed with initials and dated 1975 lower right; signed, titled and dated 1975 on the reverse
20 x 16 ins ( 50.8 x 40.6 cms )
Sold for $11,500.00
Sale date: May 25th 2017
WILLIAM KURELEK
Bad Companions (Temptation in the Desert Series)
mixed media on board
signed, titled and dated 1975 on the reverse
20 x 16 ins ( 50.8 x 40.6 cms )
Sold for $11,500.00
Sale date: May 25th 2017
WILLIAM KURELEK
To My Father’s Village
watercolour
signed with initials and dated 1977 lower right; inscribed in Ukrainian lower centre
14 x 22.5 ins ( 35.6 x 57.2 cms )
Sold for $9,775.00
Sale date: November 22nd 2016
Consignments
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W. Kurelek Biography
(1927 - 1977) RCA
Kurelek was the son of Ukrainian immigrant farmers. He grew up during the Great Depression on a grain farm in Alberta and then a dairy farm in Manitoba. His hard-working father thought that his son was lazy and was not pleased when he decided to pursue his studies in art. His father's rejection was to haunt him all of his life. Kurelek briefly studied art at school but preferred to teach himself through books. While traveling in England he was hospitalized for over a year and enrolled in the hospital's art therapy program. It was there that he drew many self-portraits and scenes of farm life from his youth. He also developed his unique style of outlining the drawing with a ballpoint pen, using coloured pencils for texture and adding details in pen. Careful examination of his drawings reveals images full of realism with minute details of things like cots, clothes and even insects. Under the pen of William Kurelek, prairie farm scenes and landscapes came to life. By the time of his death in 1977 Kurelek had produced over 2000 paintings. Many of Kurelek's painting were produced to accompany books for children. For these he won several awards including the New York Times' Best Illustrated Children's Book Award for A Prairie Boy's Winter and Lumberjack, and the Canadian Association of Children's Librarians Illustrators Award for A Prairie Boy's Summer.
