Canadian Fine Art Auction

May 26, 2014

LOT 26

Lot 26

JEAN-PAUL LEMIEUX, R.C.A.

JEAN-PAUL LEMIEUX, R.C.A.
Lot 26 Details
JEAN-PAUL LEMIEUX, R.C.A.

VILLAGE LE LONG DU ST-LAURENT

oil on masonite
signed and dated ‘51
24 ins x 36 ins; 61 cms x 91.4 cms

Estimate $30,000-$50,000

Realised: $33,040
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Provenance:

Galerie Claude Lafitte, Montreal
Private Collection

Literature:

Dennis Reid, A Concise History of Painting in Canada, Oxford University Press, Toronto, 2006, page 292.

Guy Robert, Lemieux, Gage Publishing, Montreal, 1975, pages 39 and 88.

Note:

In the early 1930s the landscapes of celebrated Quebec painter Jean-Paul Lemieux were greatly affected by his appreciation for the work of the Group of Seven, and his friendship with his former etching instructor Edwin Holgate.  On his summer breaks from teaching at the École du meuble in Montreal, and from 1937 the École des Beaux-Arts de Québec, Lemieux toured Charlevoix County and its rural villages along the Saint Lawrence working on sketches in oil and watercolour.   Lemieux was frequently accompanied on these expeditions by artist friends such as Jean Palardy, Jori Smith, and his wife Madeline Desrosiers, and drew great inspiration from their companionship. 
 
Village le Long du St-Laurent holds much in common with the artist’s landscape paintings of this period, although it was made at the cusp of a major turning point in Lemieux’s career.  1951 is commonly cited as the year in which Lemieux entered his “minimalist period” in which some of his best-loved work was created.  The same year, he was awarded first prize at the concours artistiques de la province de la Québec.
 
Over the next five years, Lemieux focused on distilling the forms of nature down to their basic geometric components and on achieving the appearance of simplified space.  This is achieved with a remarkably profound sense of depth and sensitivity in Village le Long du St-Laurent.  With its cool colours and the diminutive settlement nestled between the hills and river, Village expresses the solitude in which the people of rural Quebec had resided for centuries.

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 26
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About Condition Ratings

  • 5 Stars: Excellent - No discernable damage, flaws or imperfections
  • 4 Stars: Very Good - Minor flaws or imperfections visible only under close inspection using specialised instruments or black light
  • 3 Stars: Good - Minor flaws visible upon inspection under standard lighting
  • 2 Stars: Fair - Exhibits flaws or damage that may draw the eye under standard lighting
  • 1 Star: Poor - Flaws or damage immediately apparent under standard lighting (examples: missing components, rips, broken glass, damaged surfaces, etc.)

Note: Condition ratings and condition details are the subjective opinions of our specialists and should be used as a guide only. Waddington’s uses due care when preparing condition details, however, our staff are not professional restorers or conservators. Condition details and reports are not warranties and each lot is sold “as is” in accordance with the buyer’s terms and conditions of sale. In all cases the prospective purchaser is responsible for inspecting the property themselves prior to placing a bid.