Lot 132
JEAN-PAUL LEMIEUX, R.C.A.
Provenance:
Joyner Waddington’s Canadian Art, auction, Toronto, December 2nd, 2003, lot 184.
Private Collection, Ontario.
Literature:
Guy Robert, Lemieux, Montreal, 1978, page 286.
Note:
Guy Robert writes that Lemieux's portraits “...illustrate [a] complex interplay of representation. One finds in his work portraits that are neither photographic likenesses nor flattering studies of their models.” While the subject is characteristic for Lemieux, the composition of “Petit garcon en noir” is certainly unique. A majority of the artist’s portraits are depicted from the waist up and this composition is a rarer full-length portrait. Lemieux’s “Petit garcon” is imbued with childhood nostalgia: the young boy stands on an expansive property dressed in his Sunday best, a little grin upon his bright, delicate face revealing his delight in a spring or summer day.