Genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings exhibited at AGO in 2010 auctioned at RITCHIES, owned by Alan Swanson of Winnipeg, Manitoba

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Art Gallery of Ontario
Musée des beaux-arts de l’Ontario /Toronto, Ontario CANADA/

Revised on August 15th 2018

"ALAN SWANSON, HELPED TO FOSTER THE TALENTS OF NATIVE ARTISTS THROUGH HIS WINNIPEG GALLERY 'NORTHERN INTRUDERS' AND THROUGH HIS TRAVELS IN ONTARIO"























"Water Spirits 1 of 3"/"Water Spirits 2 of 3",
approx. 34"x24" ea., © 1970 Norval Morrisseau
/These paintings were EXHIBITED & OFFERED FOR SALE at AGO Art Rental + Sales Gallery; click HERE & HERE for screen captures/
PROVENANCE: Norval Morrisseau, Thunder Bay, Ontario; Alan R. Swanson, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Maslak McLeod Gallery, Toronto; Private Collection, Windsor, Ontario.

~ NOTE: These paintings, while exhibited at AGO in 2010, were titled "Spirit Animals" and "Shaman Speaks With Birds" respectively and marked as a diptych (click HERE); also click HERE and/or HERE to see comparison of these two paintings with genuine Norval Morrisseau painting which was authenticated by Forensic Science on December 2011.  


>>> These genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings were signed by the artist with a dry brush (DB) technique on the canvas versos. They were auctioned on May 28th, 2013 at Ritchies Auctioneers Auction Gallery* (RITCHIES) at 777 Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario.

See Lot 24 and Lot 25 (or click HERE and HERE for screen captures).-

Estimate: $14,000/16,000 ea.


* - With offices in Toronto, New York and Hong Kong RITCHIES offer over 20 auctions each year to a broad national and international market. Their buyers include leading collectors, dealers, designers, curators and discerning private individuals who have come to trust their expertise, experience and in-depth market knowledge.-

Sources: AGO Art Gallery of Ontario / Musée des beaux-arts de l’Ontario &
                  Ritchies Auctioneers Auction Gallery
                  /Auctions House Closed Permanenltly/


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>>> In a court judgement "Hatfield vs. Artworld of Sherway" /Court File No. SC-09-087264-0000/ Judge Paul J. Martial stated the following:

“The Court finds that there is overwhelming evidence that Norval Morrisseau signed paintings in black brush paint.”

 (Judgment by Judge Paul J Martial: March 25th, 2013 - Page 35)

In the same court judgement Judge Paul J. Martial stated the following about Mr. Joseph McLeod of Maslak McLeod Gallery:

“He demonstrated a superior depth of knowledge of Morrisseau…” (Judgment by Judge Paul J Martial: March 25th, 2013 - Page 25)

“The testimony of Mr. Joseph McLeod is indicative of his care and the detailed effort to confirm provenance, including the hiring of a forensic expert to examine the signature on the back of the painting indicate that he took his role to provide appraisals seriously. His testimony… demonstrates his depth of knowledge of the painter due to his lengthy association with the artist.”

(Judgment by Judge Paul J Martial: March 25th, 2013 - Page 35)

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

~ The paintings in this post have provenance leading to the artist himself and to Mr. Joseph McLeod's Maslak McLeod Gallery, Toronto, Ontario. Also, to Alan R. Swanson (1947-1998) who was getting paintings from Mr. Rolf Schnieders (1928-2015) of Thunder Bay, Ontario (click HERE to view the paintings which were authenticated by the artist in 2002 and by Forensic Science in 2011 - all acquired from private collection of Mr. Schnieders.


Also, see below genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings which were acquired from the same source by Alan R. Swanson and were also authenticated by Forensic Science in 2011; exhibited at Manitoulin Island's art gallery in 1999.



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Untitled" 58"x138", © 1979 Norval Morrisseau
/To view Norval Morrisseau posing in front of his artwork click on image to Enlarge. This painting on canvas was exhibited for sale at Nimkee Art Gallery (M'Chigeeng, Ontario) when Norval Morrisseau, accompanied by Mr. Gabor Vadas, stayed while visiting Manitoulin Island for ten days in September/October 1999./

"Untitled" 58"x138", © 1979 Norval Morrisseau
Source: Private Collection of Mr. Rolf Schnieders, Thunder Bay, Ontario
/Click on image to Enlarge and/or click HERE to view the signature signed with large letters in black dry brush paint on the face of the canvas/

* This painting has also be proven to be signed by Norval Morrisseau as per December 19, 2011  Forensic Report by Mr. Kenneth J. Davies of 'Hawkeye Studios (Grapho-Lab® Services)'. 

Below, Norval Morrisseau sits in front of another painting claimed as a forgery by Mr. Gabor Vadas and Mr. Ritchie Sinclair a.k.a. Stardreamer.

Mr. Gabe Vadas proudly posing in front of "Arrangement of Underworld Spirits, 1980" with Norval Morrisseau and Blair Debassige /The Manitoulin Expositor/ at an eagle feather ceremony held on September 24, 1999 at the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation (OCF); M'Chigeeng, Ontario. Hanging on the wall the genuine Norval Morrisseau painting "Arrangement of Underworld Spirits, 1980". This painting was appraised by Mr. Joseph McLeod of Maslak McLeod Gallery on March 11th, 2008. Mr. McLeod was, at the time of signing, a member of the Art Dealers Association of Canada (click HERE).

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



"Arrangement of Underworld Spirits" 54"x68", © 1980 Norval MorrisseauSource: Private Collection of Mr. Rolf Schnieders, Thunder Bay, Ontario

 /Click on image to Enlarge and/or click HERE to view the signature signed with large letters in black dry brush paint on the canvas VERSO/

* This painting has also be proven to be signed by Norval Morrisseau as per December 19, 2011 Forensic Report by Mr. Kenneth J. Davies of 'Hawkeye Studios (Grapho-Lab® Services)'.

Also, see below and/or click HERE & HERE for the painting owned by Alan R. Swanson and sold through Winnipeg's Wahsa Gallery and Waddington's Auction House).



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"Untitled", diptych (acrylic on wooden table), © 1970s Norval Morrisseau
Each panel 22" x 28" — 55.9 x 71.1 cm.
/Click on image to Enlarge and/or click HERE to see how this painting compares with some other similar ones executed by Norval Morrisseau in the 1970s/
Provenance:
Acquired directly from the artist,
Northern Intruders, Winnipeg, MB, 1998,
Private collection, 2007,
Private collection, Canada


Note:

In a private correspondence, Alan Swanson of the Northern Intruders Gallery, proposed that this diptych depicts the artist, the figure in blue, receiving his Ojibwa name, ‘Ozaawaabiko-binesi’ or ‘Copper Thunderbird.’In the book cited above, Morrisseau recounts the story of the naming ceremony. After a grave illness, the artist was taken to visit a medicine woman. “She had already administered all the power she could, so there was only one thing left to do. This is the highest sort of power that can be given to anyone that is sick: and that is to give him a new name, a powerful name. [...]

So at that special moment, she gave me a new name, the name of Copper Thunderbird. That was a very, very powerful new name; and it cured me. From then on I changed, because that was a name whose power you could actually feel. Copper is a very sacred metal, and here you can imagine a Thunderbird, a huge massive bird all made of copper, and he was actually flying!

My name was changed to Copper Thunderbird. I sign my paintings Copper Thunderbird.”


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At the same time when I originally introduced Mr. Rolf Schnieders on this platform I introduced individual that was selling paintings that originated from Mr. Schnieders' collection - Mr. Anthony (Tony) Martinenko; art dealer from Winnipeg, Manitoba; who is an important element in describing many of the issues involving Norval Morrisseau's art that have been offered for sale all across Canada in the past two decades.

He took over art dealing activities from Alan (Al) Ragnar Swanson (August 10, 1947- November 05, 1998) of 'Northern Intruders Gallery' in Winnipeg, Manitoba and dealt with paintings from Mr. Rolf Schnieders' collection. Another individual introduced who sold many paintings that originated from the same source was Darcy Boylan (1964-2003), also deceased, from Thunder Bay, Ontario.

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To provide more information about the late Mr. Alan Ragnar Swanson*, please send it at below noted e-mail address.

Thank you/Miigwetch,

Ugo Matulić
ugo.matulic@norvalmorrisseau.com

Alan Ragnar Swanson's obituary,
Winnipeg Free Press, November 1998

* - Son of Arni Ragnar (Bob) Swanson (April 9th, 1921- September 4th, 2004) & Marjorie Rae (nee Duncan) Swanson (March 5th, 1932 - July 4th, 2011); brother of Carol Dressler (Brian), Linda Catherine Meyer (Dale), David Swanson (Sarah) & Kristin Kardal (Bruce); father of Dayna Crosby (Kevin) of Thunder Bay ON & Kendra Patterson (Brett) of Winnipeg MB and nephew of Olivia Olson (Holman). He is also missed by George Whitehead, nephew of Olivia and Holman Olson.

>>> Reference posts:

- The Art of Norval Morrisseau in Galleries and Museums Around the World (Part VIII), - Forensic Document Examination (Part I), - Signatures on Norval Morrisseau artworks certified by Forensic Science, - Morrisseau's artwork in Auction Houses, Commercial Art Galleries & Museums Around the World, - Genuine Morrisseau paintings: Appraised, Authenticated and Forensically Analyzed... /In regards to the Genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings signed by the artist with a dry brush (DB) technique/ - Experts in Norval Morrisseau's Art (Part I) /Ref.: Mr. Joseph McLeod/ - Norval Morrisseau authenticating his artworks /In regards to the Genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings signed by the artist with a dry brush (DB) technique/, - Endorsement by Thunder Bay Art Gallery of genuine Morrisseau paintings from 1970's /In regards to the Genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings signed by the artist with a dry brush (DB) technique/, - Authenticity Statement by Mr. Goyce Kakegamic /'In regards to Genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings acquired from Collections of Mr. Rolf Schneiders and Mr. Gary Lamont/, - Statutory Declaration by Mr. Robert Scott, /' Witnessing Norval Morrisseau signing the paintings with a dry brush (DB) technique'/, - Statutory Declaration by Mr. Deiter John Voss, /' Witnessing Norval Morrisseau signing the paintings with a dry brush (DB) technique'/ - Hatfield, Margaret Lorraine vs. Child, Donna and Artworld of Sherway (Part IV) & - Pivotal Court Case Relevant to Authenticity of Norval Morrisseau Artworks.
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Beware of Norval Morrisseau on Wikipedia (Part I)

 read -
WARNING! ~ WIKIPEDIA page maintained by individual(s) discredited in a pivotal court case relevant to authenticity of Norval Morrisseau artworks

Screen capture from WIKIPEDIA; be very cautious if proceeding...

~ Wikipedia: General disclaimer:
   WIKIPEDIA MAKES NO GUARANTEE OF VALIDITY

"The content of any given article may recently have been changed, vandalized or altered by someone whose opinion does not correspond with the state of knowledge in the relevant fields." ~ WIKIPEDIA


>>> IMPORTANT: See below to read about this pivotal court case relevant to authenticity of Norval Morrisseau artworks. This critical information was "conveniently avoided" by editors of Norval Morrisseau's page on WIKIPEDIA as it worked against their own agenda of continuing devaluation of genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings, especially those artworks signed by the artist with a dry brush (DB) technique.


A landmark court decision confirms the authenticity of thousands of Norval  Morrisseau paintings! 

ArtworksHatfield vs. Artworld of Sherway
/Court File No. SC-09-087264-0000/

~ The following is the analysis and decision of Deputy Judge Paul J. Martial's judgement dated March 25th, 2013 and officially issued by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on April 2nd, 2013 (Pages 35 - 39) 

ANALYSIS – copy of Judge Martial’s Judgment
(Note: For clarity and brevity, we have removed Judge Martial’s lengthy supporting quotes from the trial transcripts, which he added between the paragraphs)

"The Court has considered in excess of some 750 pages of testimony over five days of hearing and reviewed the exhibits and considered the detailed written submissions of counsel.

"The Court finds that there is overwhelming evidence that Norval Morrisseau signed paintings in black brush paint.

"The eye witness testimony of his brother Wilfred Morrisseau who lived with him for substantial periods of time in the North and elsewhere and who saw him sign in black brush paint is convincing and credible.

"The testimony of Marlow Goring supports his testimony in regards to the practise of the artist signing paintings in black brush.

"Wilfred Morrisseau's testimony that his brother painted while in jail and his explanation of his brother's decadent lifestyle and his carefree attitude to life provides a cogent explanation for the lack of receipts to document the provenance.

"The Court adopts Wilfred Morrisseau's testimony that his brother painted a significant number of paintings en masse and it is therefore reasonable to conclude that his production was in the thousands.

"The testimony of Mr. Joseph McLeod is indicative of his care and the detailed efforts to confirm provenance, including the hiring of a forensic expert to examine the signature on the back of the painting indicate that he took his role to provide appraisals seriously.

"His testimony of the origin of the Cree syllabic signature, the name Copper Thunderbird and his interpretation of the painting "Wheel of Life" demonstrates his depth of knowledge of the painter due to his lengthy association with the artist.

"His explanation of the brown more muted colour of the painting compared to the brighter later paintings is credible when considered in the context of pictographs near Lac Seul and in Nipigon where Morrisseau lived and likely the inspiration of the earlier paintings. Such pictographs were also known to exist in the Petroglyphs near Peterborough where Morrisseau formerly resided.

"The Defendants acted reasonably in obtaining one of two appraisals from Mr. Joseph McLeod to authenticate the painting due to his knowledge of and prior dealings with the artist due to the controversy about provenance.

"The Court received the statutory declarations of Norval Morrisseau and letters filed by the Plaintiff in support of the allegation of forgery. This evidence was relevant and although hearsay was admitted since it was relevant to the central issue - Was the painting a forgery?

"In assessing the reliability of that evidence however, the Court notes that since this evidence was not subject to cross-examination it had to be carefully weighed in light of the testimony of all of the witnesses.

"The Plaintiff's own witness Donald Robinson provided viva voce testimony of Norval Morrisseau's inconsistency and difficulty in identifying his own work, and of his unpredictability.

"He agreed that Morrisseau could have memory problems from 2003 to 2006, and of his decline in health due to his illness.

Robinson's admission that he was not surprised that Morrisseau would sign a certificate of authenticity to please also cast doubt on the reliability of the statutory declarations signed by Morrisseau.

"His testimony coupled with the testimony of other witnesses of Morrisseau's Parkinson's disease raises a significant doubt of the reliability of the statutory declarations.

"Although a letter from a lawyer who was present at the signing of the statutory declaration and a doctor's letter were filed at trial, no expert testimony of capacity was proffered by the Plaintiff on such a key issue.

"Mr. Robinson was qualified as an expert in the area of valuation and appraisal. His testimony however overlapped into the area of handwriting and included an analysis of syllabic and English handwriting, areas for which he was not qualified.

"He has no formal training as an expert witness in handwriting analysis and his evidence is rejected.

"Dr. Singla's forensic evidence is preferred in this regard and his finding that it is highly probable that the painting "Wheel of Life" was painted by Norval Morrisseau was supported by his detailed technical analysis of known signatures of' Norval Morrisseau.

"Mr. Robinson also testified as to his personal dealings with Morrisseau paintings. It was his view that there were a large number of forgeries.

"It was also clear that his personal views and business interests conflicted with his professional opinion since it was in his interest along with Mr. Vadas to maintain the price of Morrisseau paintings which would not otherwise be the case if the market was flooded with paintings sourced from Potter auctions.

"The Court rejects his expert report and his conclusion that the Morellian analysis, style, colour, and provenance all pointed to forgery.

"Mr. Joseph McLeod's testimony is preferred to that of Mr. Ritchie Sinclair. Mr. Sinclair's testimony of numerous forgers paid for with drugs although dramatic was not supported by the evidence.

DECISION

"After a careful consideration of all of the evidence, the Court finds that on the balance of probabilities that the painting "Wheel of Life" dated February 1979 is an original Norval Morrisseau and undoubtedly one of his most notorious paintings.

"The painting “Wheel of Life" is not a forgery. The Defendants did not misrepresent the authenticity of the painting.

"The Plaintiff's claim is dismissed with costs fixed at $1,500.00 dollars pursuant to the written submissions of counsel.

"Dated at Toronto this 25th day of March 2013.

Signed

/Paul J. Martial/"

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~ This document, issued by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, also includes the introduction, plaintiff's and defence evidence as well as summary of testimonies by Ms. Margaret Hatfield, Mr. Donald Robinson, Mr. Ritchie Sinclair, Ms. Donna Child, Mr. Wilfred Morrisseau, Mr. Kevin Cott, Mr. Joseph McLeod, Mr. Marlow Goring, Dr. Atul K. Singla and Mr. James White.

Source: Deputy Judge Paul J. Martial's judgement

                  /Complete Original Downloadable Document/

                 

>>> Reference posts:

- Forensic Document Examination (Part I), - Signatures on Norval Morrisseau artworks certified by Forensic Science, - Morrisseau's artwork in Auction Houses, Commercial Art Galleries & Museums Around the World, - Genuine Morrisseau paintings: Appraised, Authenticated and Forensically Analyzed... /In regards to the Genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings signed by the artist with a dry brush (DB) technique/ - Experts in Norval Morrisseau's Art (Part I) /Ref.: Mr. Joseph McLeod/ - Norval Morrisseau authenticating his artworks /In regards to the Genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings signed by the artist with a dry brush (DB) technique/, - Endorsement by Thunder Bay Art Gallery of genuine Morrisseau paintings from 1970's /In regards to the Genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings signed by the artist with a dry brush (DB) technique/, - Authenticity Statement by Mr. Goyce Kakegamic /'In regards to Genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings acquired from Collections of Mr. Rolf Schneiders and Mr. Gary Lamont/, - Statutory Declaration by Mr. Robert Scott, /' Witnessing Norval Morrisseau signing the paintings with a dry brush (DB) technique'/, - Statutory Declaration by Mr. Deiter John Voss, /' Witnessing Norval Morrisseau signing the paintings with a dry brush (DB) technique'/ - Hatfield, Margaret Lorraine vs. Child, Donna and Artworld of Sherway (Part IV) & - Pivotal Court Case Relevant to Authenticity of Norval Morrisseau Artworks.
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