Léon Bellefleur’s artistic output in the 1970s progressively became more lyrical than in previous decades. The dance of pigments, texture and movement in “Sans titre” captures an impulse of inspired paint application on the canvas. Against the softened background, the swaths of paint, thickly applied with both the palette and brush, emphasize a contrast between light and dark, conveying an energetic atmosphere.
Bellefleur had close ties to painters Paul-Émile Borduas and Alfred Pellan - leaders of the Montreal art scene in the 1940s – and was heavily influenced by their debate on the ideological differences of Surrealism. This intellectually charged atmosphere served Bellefleur well. His interest and research into Esoterism grew, enriching his artwork with the exploration of the mysterious and unknown. According to Bellefleur, “The most important thing is not what we see, but what we imagine.”
