Sold for: $46,800

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Montreal

In pursuit of colour effects, Marc-Aurèle Fortin experimented with pigments - with grey and black as underpainting and with casein, a milk-based paint - mixing his own blends using powdered milk and watercolour. He was also drawn to the vivid colours of pastels, which allowed for layered and accented colour in a way that no other media permitted. Through a light touch, or under heavy pressure, the intensity of colour a pastel stick can produce covers a broad range. Using a coloured paper as a support, this rare and early pastel drawing of the Hochelaga district of Montreal is a stunning example of Fortin’s work in this medium. Its relation to his later grey and black periods is clear, but it is the vivid contrasts, combined with the delightful composition and his assured command of pastel, which make this work so very appealing. Fortin’s depictions of Quebec convey immediately his deep affection for its towns and villages. Hochelaga is an idyll, nestled into the hillside and blanketed with a rich velvet light.

This work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné on the artist's work, #P-0040.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars