A painting of a Canadian doctor from the lab where he discovered discover that insulin was selling at a record $ 237,000

The Canadian doctor who won the Nobel Prize for his role in the discovery of insulin was both an accomplished artist and a remarkable scientist. Frederick Banting's 1925 painting of the laboratory where he did his life-saving work at the University of Toronto was sold yesterday, November 21, to Heffel Fine Art ten times more than his estimate after a dizzying battle.

"Twenty paddles went up at the same time and it could be said that it was a very passionate sale," said David Heffel, head of the Canadian auction house. When his hammer fell The laboratory sold $ 236,862 with premium (or $ 313,250 CDN). Heffel told artnet News that it was the most complicated lot he had ever seen in his auctioneer career.

"One could feel the importance of this work not only as a painting of aesthetic success, but also as an inestimable work in the past by a great artist and medical scientist whose discovery has improved and prolonged the lives of millions of people, "said Heffel.

The winning bid was made over the phone and a spokeswoman for the auction house said that she had switched to "big hands". In the honor of selling the work of historical significance, Heffel donated the buyer 's premium (about $ 46,000) for the lot. the Banting & Best Diabetes Center. In the unit of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, staff are working to advance the research, education and treatment of diabetes.

"I'm lucky that no one in my family is diabetic, but I must say that we sincerely and sincerely admire Banting's discovery," Heffel said. He added that he was delighted that the sale could take place during Diabetes Awareness Month. It was Banting's birthday (and World Diabetes Day) on November 14, the same day that Banting and collaborator Charles Best had submitted their article in the medical journal of the University of Toronto.

Diabetes was a murderer before the decisive Banting and Best discovery in 1921. Banting won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1923 with University of Toronto lecturer John Macleod (although Banting shared his money with Best).

Banting had a lesser known artist career. He was friends with Artists Lawren Harris and A.Y. of the Group of Seven Jackson and a member of the Toronto Arts and Letters Club. He painted mostly landscapes but with The laboratory Banting united his two great interests. Believed to be his only inner scene, he painted the room in which he helped discover insulin. Dated February 1925, an inscription on the frame indicates that it shows the laboratory at 2 o'clock sharp.

Frederick Banting (right) and Charles Best with one of the first diabetic dogs to receive insulin. Photo of Hulton Archive / Getty Images.

The original owner of the book was another Banting lab assistant, Sadie Gairns. She handed the painting to a fellow lab assistant called Jean Orr, whose descendants have recorded the work at the auction.

It was exhibited once in 1943, a few years after Banting's death, in an exhibition dedicated to his work at the University's Hart House. Sales of The laboratory breaks the Banting auction record. In 2013, Honey Harbor (1933) sold at C $ 70,200 with premium ($ 68,992), according to the artnet Price Database.

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