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Sir Frederick Banting's painting, St. Tite Des Cap. It sold in auction Monday for $25,000.

Banting painting discovered at estate sale

Purchased for just $15, Nova Scotia man resells work at auction for $25,000

BY Janis Ramsay November 29, 2006 15:11

What do an auction, a man from Nova Scotia and Sir Frederick Banting have in common?

A painting -- one done by Banting -- who was born in Alliston. The painting sold Monday morning for $25,000.

Lee Burke, the man who found the painting, just opened an antique shop in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and he likes to tour estate sales. Aug. 31 he bid on a small painting for $15, which was signed by someone named Banting.

"I liked it and I knew that Dr. Banting was a painter as well. I didn't know if it was a painting of his but I took a chance," said Burke.

He researched Banting's work online, and found Banting painted similar pieces from the same village in Quebec. His next step was to contact an auction house in Toronto. It's well known Alliston's most famous native son, who became world renown for his co-discovery of insulin, was a big fan of the work of Canada's Group of Seven. The painting is similar in style to some of the work of the group from the same period.

After sending digital photos, Burke learned if the painting was an original, it was worth $15,000 to $20,000. The piece is signed, dated August, 1937 and inscribed "To Alex Hattie, a souvenir of our visit to Picklecrow".

Burke admits this may be a once-in-a-lifetime find, but he hopes not.

When he found out the painting sold for $25,000, he was pleasantly surprised. "I'm very excited. Now I have to find another one."

Sotheby's, in association with Ritchies, held the Important Canadian Art sale Monday at 10:30 a.m. and a photo of the painting is available at www.ritchies.com.

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