AANFM ARCA OC QMG
1928 - 2021
Canadian
Reflet mauve
oil on canvas
signed and dated 1962 and on verso signed, titled, dated 1961 and inscribed "INT. ART - 3"
42 x 36 in, 106.7 x 91.4 cm
Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000 CAD
Sold for: $49,250
Preview at:
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Montreal
The Québécoise-Abenakis painter Rita Letendre was introduced to Paul-Émile Borduas and the Automatists during her studies at the École des beaux-arts de Montréal. Their expressive and intuitive approach to art was much more in tune with Letendre’s interest in creative exploration than the traditional methods taught at the art school. Later, her works were shown alongside those of the Automatists in pivotal exhibitions such as La matière chante in 1954 and Espace 55, at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Since then, she has dedicated herself entirely to exploring the possibilities of abstraction in her painting.
Letendre’s works from the early 1960s are highly indebted to the Automatists’ revolutionary and expressive approach to abstraction. They are spirited and intense, and Reflet mauve is no exception. In this compelling oil on canvas, Letendre skilfully lays thick slabs of colour side by side all over the surface of the canvas with her palette knife, building a mosaic of textured swathes of black, blue, sage, bright green, white and eggplant. Her undeniably liberated use of the palette knife showcases her remarkable range and quality of gesture as she reveals the very materiality of her medium.
Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000 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.