A rare preparatory oil sketch by Group of Seven member Lawren Harris has sold at auction for almost $1 million, tripling the sale price of a previous “Algoma” sketch.

“Algoma Sketch 48” was created in the fall of 1919 or 1920, around the time the Group of Seven officially formed as an association of painters.  It was discovered in Australia and had been in a private collection for nearly 80 years.

Last night it sold for $977-thousand at Consignor Canadian Fine Art’s first live auction event in Toronto.

Harris first visited Ontario’s Algoma region in 1918 and returned on multiple occasions with fellow Group of Seven members.  The work sold last night served as a preparatory sketch for several of Harris’ well-known large canvases, including “Island, MacCallum Lake,” which is part of the Vancouver Art Gallery’s collection.