A mature-period canvas by Emily Carr fetched more than $3 million at a Toronto auction, making it one of the most valuable works by the B.C. artist to come to market.

The 1939 forest scene B次元官网网址淭ossed by the WindB次元官网网址� hammered down for $3.1 million B次元官网网址� roughly twice its pre-sale estimate of between $1.2 million and $1.6 million B次元官网网址� at the Heffel Fine Art Auction HouseB次元官网网址檚 virtual live sale Wednesday.

Another of CarrB次元官网网址檚 later compositions, 1937B次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淪wirl,B次元官网网址� which she gifted to contemporary Lawren Harris, exceeded expectations with a $2.3 million sale.

Heffel says the two paintings rank among the four highest-priced Carr works ever sold at auction. All prices include auction house fees.

However, several marquee lots in HeffelB次元官网网址檚 spring catalogue flopped on the auction block.

Canadian artist Alex ColvilleB次元官网网址檚 well-known 1952 painting B次元官网网址淕irl on Piebald Horse,B次元官网网址� which had been valued at between $700,000 and $900,000, went unsold.

ColvilleB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淒og and HorseB次元官网网址� fared better with a winning bid of $541,250, within its pre-sale estimate of between $400,000 and $600,000.

Another big-ticket that failed to find a buyer was French artist Fernand LegerB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淧einture imaginaire,B次元官网网址� which was estimated to be worth between $1.5 million and $2 million.

Six of the eight works on offer by Quebec abstractionist Jean Paul Riopelle sold. But the large-scale B次元官网网址淪ans tire,B次元官网网址� a mixed-media triptych with a pre-sale estimate of between $400,000 and $600,000, remains on the market.

A Heffel spokeswoman said there is post-auction interest in some of the pieces that didnB次元官网网址檛 meet their reserve price, and more than 93 per cent of the 92 works on offer were auctioned off.

It was also a record-setting sale for two notable women in Canadian art.

A 1960 canvas B次元官网网址淭erme de la nuitB次元官网网址� by Rita Letendre, who is associated with QuebecB次元官网网址檚 Les Automatistes, sold for $289,250 B次元官网网址� more than five times its pre-auction estimate.

There was also fierce bidding over B次元官网网址淎 Green Pool, French River, Canada,B次元官网网址� by British artist Frances Anne Hopkins, whose works are considered important records of 19th century Canadian history. The piece, painted in 1864, sold for $193,250.

HeffelB次元官网网址檚 spring auction was livestreamed from three separate salerooms in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

B次元官网网址擜dina Bresge, The Canadian Press