LOT 032

QMG
1916 - 1965
Canadian

Martine
oil on board
signed, titled and dated 1957 and on verso signed, titled, dated July 1957 and inscribed "Ville St-Laurent, P. Qué, Canada"
20 x 24 in, 50.8 x 61 cm

Estimate: $25,000 - $35,000 CAD

Sold for: $34,250

Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave

PROVENANCE
Collection of the family of Paul-Vanier Beaulieu, Laval

LITERATURE
National Gallery of Canada, "Jean Dallaire," https://www.gallery.ca/collection/artist/jean-dallaire

EXHIBITED
Galerie Treize, Montreal, Jean-Philippe Dallaire - Dessins inédits de 1957, October 10 - November 23, 1982


One could say that I do not take life seriously. I always had a fondness for birds, little flags and the texture of fabrics. Perhaps it is a bit decorative, but so what.

—Jean-Philippe Dallaire, 1957

Known for his joyful paintings depicting curious characters, Jean-Philippe Dallaire was one of the leading artists working figuratively in the 1960s in Canada. He lived in Paris from 1938 to 1945, and during the German occupation from 1940 to 1944, he was held in Saint-Denis, an internment camp near Paris. During his stay in the French capital, he discovered Pablo Picasso and the Surrealists, and he met fellow Canadian artist Alfred Pellan. Surrealism, Cubism and art brut deeply influenced Dallaire’s work, long after he came back to Canada. In 1957, he was working as an illustrator for animated educational films at the National Film Board and worked from a studio in Ville Saint-Laurent.

This whimsical portrait wonderfully represents the artist’s many influences. A deconstructed character is drawn with calligraphic black lines and painted with bold planes of mottled colour. The titular Martine wears a red and white striped shirt, sports a short-cropped haircut and holds up a little orange flag. Dallaire’s singular exploration of form and colour is on full display in this delightful work.

Included with this lot is the accompanying preparatory ink on paper sketch by the artist, measuring 8 3/4 x 7 1/4 inches and framed.


Estimate: $25,000 - $35,000 CAD

All prices are in Canadian Dollars


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