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Born in Montreal on October 7, 1923, Jean Paul Riopelle is a Canadian and Quebec artist of international stature. During his long career, he approached the most diverse techniques and produced nearly 7000 works. He particularly exploited painting, engraving and sculpture. He has exhibited all over the world and has distinguished himself by his unique style, at the crossroads of the surrealist, automatist and “all over” movements. He approached both abstraction and figuration while ignoring their respective boundaries. Jean Paul Riopelle died on March 12, 2002 in Saint-Antoine-de-l’Isle-aux-Grues.
From his birth in 1923 on De Lorimier Street in Montreal to his death in L’Isle-aux-Grues in 2002, Jean Paul Riopelle lived a rich, creative and free life. A life whose strong points were established very early on: a passion for nature, a taste for discovery and a total commitment to art.
Riopelle as a child, around 1926. © Centre de documentation et archives Riopelle.
1923-1935
Jean Paul Riopelle, Hibou premier, oil on canvas, 40,5 x 30 cm (1939-1941) © Estate of Jean Paul Riopelle / SOCAN (2022)
1936-1939
Riopelle at Saint-Fabien-sur-Mer, around 1941. © Centre de documentation et archives Riopelle.
1940-1946
Jean Paul Riopelle and Pierre Gauvreau, cover of the manifesto Refus global, 1948
ink on paper, 21,5 x 18,5 cm © Estates of Pierre Gauvreau and Claude Gauvreau / Copyright Visual Arts-CARCC, 2023
1947-1989
Jean Paul Riopelle, L’Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg, mixed media on canvas, 155 x 4039 cm (assembled) triptych (1992) © Estate of Jean Paul Riopelle / SOCAN (2022)
1990-2002