Galerie L’Art français, Montreal
Kastel Gallery, Montreal
Private Collection, Toronto
Born in Sainte-Rose, Marc-Aurèle Fortin received his early artistic training at home under the tutelage of artists including Ludger Larose and Edmond Dyonnet before his studies would take him to Chicago, New York, Boston, and later, to France. It was after a brief trip to France in 1920 that Fortin began to work full-time as a painter and to show his work, which included scenes of the island of Montreal, predominantly rural at the time, and of his birthplace Sainte-Rose, north of the island. During the summers, he travelled to Quebec City, Île d’Orléans and the Charlevoix region, sketching and painting houses and rural scenes. In this oil painting of his hometown, Ste. Rose, Fortin’s skillful decorative and high-contrast colour palette is demonstrated in the lively white cloud formations, red building walls and green grass, all against a blue ground. These vibrant works that capture the charm of small-town Quebec are what the artist became best known for in his career.
