AANFM CAS PY QMG
1910 - 2007
Canadian
Métamorphose II
oil on canvas
signed and dated 1962 and on verso titled and inscribed "$750." on the gallery label
39 1/2 x 32 in, 100.3 x 81.3 cm
Estimate: $12,000 - $16,000 CAD
Sold for: $23,400
Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave
PROVENANCE
Galerie du Siècle, Montreal
Private Collection, British Columbia
LITERATURE
Guy Robert, Bellefleur: The Fervour of the Quest, 1988, page 103
Through his association with Alfred Pellan in 1942, Léon Bellefleur was introduced to the Automatists, and through them he became interested in the work of the Surrealists. He was a signatory of the Prisme d’yeux manifesto, in which the group members declared their desire to be free of restrictions of time, place and ideology, and he was a part of their first exhibition in 1948. For a decade beginning in 1954, Bellefleur shuttled back and forth between Paris, Provence and Montreal. While in France, he continued to delve further into his interest in Surrealism and the creative unconscious as a source of inspiration. The life of the unconscious manifests in the striking Métamorphose II, in which Bellefleur wields his painting tools spontaneously, splashing, scraping and splattering paint, building up layers of dimensionality. As Guy Robert writes, Bellefleur’s paintings seem “agitated by a kind of inner wind, an impetuous breath that makes the spatula twist and the colours turn.” Taken literally, Bellefleur’s title implies change in form or an inner state of mind - the essence of freedom and possibility.
Estimate: $12,000 - $16,000 CAD
All prices are in Canadian Dollars
Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information posted, errors and omissions may occur. All bids are subject to our
Terms and Conditions of Business. Bidders must ensure they have satisfied themselves with the
condition of the Lot prior to bidding. Condition reports are available upon request.