Alfred Pellan
Encyclopedia
For the federal district in Laval, Quebec
, see Alfred-Pellan (electoral district)
Alfred Pellan, (16 May 1906 – 31 October 1988) was an important figure in twentieth-century Quebec
painting. He was born in Quebec City
in 1906. From the age of fourteen until his graduation in 1926 he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts de Québec. His early canvases, from his first visit to Paris, show a marked fauvist
tendency.
on 16 May 1906. His mother, Regina Damphousse, died when he was young, and his father Alfred Pelland, locomotive engineer , raised their three children. In school, Pellane filled the margins of his notebooks with drawings and excelled at his art classes, with little interest in other subjects.
In 1920, Pelland enrolled at the School of Fine Arts of Quebec. He won first prizes in advanced courses and earned medals in painting, drawing, sculpture, sketching, anatomy and advertising. He sold his first painting at the age of 17 to the National Gallery of Canada
in Ottawa.
In 1926 Pelland received the first fine arts scholarship in Quebec, which allowed him to spend several years in Paris and visit Venice. He studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts
in Paris (1926-1930), where he received a first prize in painting in 1928 (Lucien Simon's studio). When his scholarship ended he prolonged his stay in Paris till 1940 with the help of his father, often working alone while attending the Grande Chaumière, Colarossi and Ranson art academies. He won first prize at the exhibition of mural art in 1935 in Paris and rubbed elbows with the most famous artists of the time – Picasso, Matisse, Derain, Dali
. Traveling Europe, he became "permeated by the mainstream art of the era." Returning to Quebec in 1936 hoping to to be appointed professor at the École des Beaux-Arts in his hometown, he was rejected by the jury, who found him too "modern".
With the outbreak of war he returned to Quebec in 1940 and settled in Montreal
. Works he brought back with him were praised in exhibitions in Quebec and Montreal but the cubist and surrealist works were considered too avant-garde and most did not find a buyer. From 1943 to 1952 he taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Montreal. His active opposition to the theories of Charles Maillard, the school's director, succeeded in pressuring Maillard to resign in 1944. The school then became more liberal in its approach. Pelland committed himself to an independent art, more open to universality and evolution.
During the 1940s, Pelland illustrated poetry books and designed costumes and sets for the theatre. His style matured and developed during this period. Surrealism
began to attract him more strongly: his imagery became more erotic and his paintings, always vivid and striking, became larger, more complex and more textured. No longer believing in art schools, in early 1948 he co-signed Prism of Eyes, a manifesto written by Jacques de Tonnancour advocating freedom of expression in art, speaking for a group that called for art free of any ideology.
Later that year, an even more radical group was formed, which produced the manifesto Refus global
first set out by Borduas
, which completely overshadowed the earlier manifesto.
In 1952, Alfred Pelland received a scholarship from the Royal Society of Canada
and returned to Paris until 1955, with his wife Madeleine, whom he had married in 1949. During this stay, the National Museum of Modern Art
in Paris presented an exhibition of 181 of his works, sponsored by the governments of France and Canada. Pelland became the first Canadian to have such a solo exhibition in Paris.
Back in Quebec for two years, he resumed his painting classes in 1957 as a professor at the Art Center of Sainte-Adèle while living in his house in Auteuil, Laval, where he took up residence in 1950. His reputation continued to grow among Canadian art experts, he became more widely known through various exhibitions, both solo and group, and he received commissions for murals, which established his fame throughout the country.
Several monographs and documentaries were devoted to him during his lifetime, and he received a number of awards and honours.
In 1978, Alfred Pelland began a battle with leukemia and produced only five works during his last ten years. He died in Montreal on October 31, 1988 at the age of 82. He is buried in the Parc du Souvenir in Auteuil.
His wife survived him until 2010.
Laval, Quebec
Laval is a Canadian city and a region in southwestern Quebec. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third largest municipality in the province of Quebec, and the 14th largest city in Canada with a population of 368,709 in 2006...
, see Alfred-Pellan (electoral district)
Alfred-Pellan (electoral district)
Alfred-Pellan is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. Its population in 2006 was 104,765.-Geography:...
Alfred Pellan, (16 May 1906 – 31 October 1988) was an important figure in twentieth-century Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
painting. He was born in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
in 1906. From the age of fourteen until his graduation in 1926 he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts de Québec. His early canvases, from his first visit to Paris, show a marked fauvist
Fauvism
Fauvism is the style of les Fauves , a short-lived and loose group of early twentieth-century Modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong colour over the representational or realistic values retained by Impressionism...
tendency.
Biography
Alfred Pelland was born in QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
on 16 May 1906. His mother, Regina Damphousse, died when he was young, and his father Alfred Pelland, locomotive engineer , raised their three children. In school, Pellane filled the margins of his notebooks with drawings and excelled at his art classes, with little interest in other subjects.
In 1920, Pelland enrolled at the School of Fine Arts of Quebec. He won first prizes in advanced courses and earned medals in painting, drawing, sculpture, sketching, anatomy and advertising. He sold his first painting at the age of 17 to the National Gallery of Canada
National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada , located in the capital city Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's premier art galleries.The Gallery is now housed in a glass and granite building on Sussex Drive with a notable view of the Canadian Parliament buildings on Parliament Hill. The acclaimed structure was...
in Ottawa.
In 1926 Pelland received the first fine arts scholarship in Quebec, which allowed him to spend several years in Paris and visit Venice. He studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts
École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts
The École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts is the distinguished National School of Fine Arts in Paris, France.The École des Beaux-arts is made up of a vast complex of buildings located at 14 rue Bonaparte, between the quai Malaquais and the rue Bonaparte, in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Près,...
in Paris (1926-1930), where he received a first prize in painting in 1928 (Lucien Simon's studio). When his scholarship ended he prolonged his stay in Paris till 1940 with the help of his father, often working alone while attending the Grande Chaumière, Colarossi and Ranson art academies. He won first prize at the exhibition of mural art in 1935 in Paris and rubbed elbows with the most famous artists of the time – Picasso, Matisse, Derain, Dali
Dali
-Places:*Dali City, Yunnan , a city in Yunnan province in the People's Republic of China*Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture , prefecture in Yunnan, China*Kingdom of Dali , centered in modern Yunnan...
. Traveling Europe, he became "permeated by the mainstream art of the era." Returning to Quebec in 1936 hoping to to be appointed professor at the École des Beaux-Arts in his hometown, he was rejected by the jury, who found him too "modern".
With the outbreak of war he returned to Quebec in 1940 and settled in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. Works he brought back with him were praised in exhibitions in Quebec and Montreal but the cubist and surrealist works were considered too avant-garde and most did not find a buyer. From 1943 to 1952 he taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Montreal. His active opposition to the theories of Charles Maillard, the school's director, succeeded in pressuring Maillard to resign in 1944. The school then became more liberal in its approach. Pelland committed himself to an independent art, more open to universality and evolution.
During the 1940s, Pelland illustrated poetry books and designed costumes and sets for the theatre. His style matured and developed during this period. Surrealism
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
began to attract him more strongly: his imagery became more erotic and his paintings, always vivid and striking, became larger, more complex and more textured. No longer believing in art schools, in early 1948 he co-signed Prism of Eyes, a manifesto written by Jacques de Tonnancour advocating freedom of expression in art, speaking for a group that called for art free of any ideology.
Later that year, an even more radical group was formed, which produced the manifesto Refus global
Refus Global
Le Refus global, or Total Refusal, was an anti-establishment and anti-religious manifesto released on August 9, 1948 in Montreal by a group of sixteen young Québécois artists and intellectuals that included Paul-Émile Borduas and Jean-Paul Riopelle....
first set out by Borduas
Paul-Émile Borduas
Paul-Émile Borduas was a Canadian painter known for his abstract paintings. He was also an activist for the separation of church and state, especially for art, in Quebec.- Biography :...
, which completely overshadowed the earlier manifesto.
In 1952, Alfred Pelland received a scholarship from the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
and returned to Paris until 1955, with his wife Madeleine, whom he had married in 1949. During this stay, the National Museum of Modern Art
Musée National d'Art Moderne
The Musée National d'Art Moderne is the national museum for modern art of France. It is located in Paris and is housed in the Centre Pompidou in the 4th arrondissement of the city. Created in 1947, it was then housed in the Palais de Tokyo and moved to its current location in 1977...
in Paris presented an exhibition of 181 of his works, sponsored by the governments of France and Canada. Pelland became the first Canadian to have such a solo exhibition in Paris.
Back in Quebec for two years, he resumed his painting classes in 1957 as a professor at the Art Center of Sainte-Adèle while living in his house in Auteuil, Laval, where he took up residence in 1950. His reputation continued to grow among Canadian art experts, he became more widely known through various exhibitions, both solo and group, and he received commissions for murals, which established his fame throughout the country.
Several monographs and documentaries were devoted to him during his lifetime, and he received a number of awards and honours.
In 1978, Alfred Pelland began a battle with leukemia and produced only five works during his last ten years. He died in Montreal on October 31, 1988 at the age of 82. He is buried in the Parc du Souvenir in Auteuil.
His wife survived him until 2010.
External links
- On a Portrait by Alfred Pellan (in French), by Jean-René Ostiguy. Also available: a summary in English.
- Short biography from the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du QuébecMusée national des beaux-arts du QuébecThe Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec is a museum in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada gathering approximately 25,000 works essentially produced in Quebec, or by Quebec artists, some of which dating from the 18th century. It also houses a library since 1987...
.