Caravane, 1960

Private Collection, Toronto Heffel Fine Art, auction, Toronto, 23 November 23 2016, lot 24 Private Collection, Toronto

Beginning as an Automatiste painter in the 1950s, Letendre was influenced by Paul-Émile Borduas and revolutionary non-figurative paintings of the period. Taking the lead from the Montreal modern painters of the time, the artist became a leader in the colourist movement, including the expressive quality of black pigment. Using a variety of applicators, Letendre fluctuated between brush and spatula to apply thick layers of paint to achieve varying textures on the canvas, always mindful of the gesture of the artist’s hand moving the paint. This approach is exemplified in the dramatic and evocative“Caravane”, dating to 1960. The artist continued working in this gestural abstract style into the mid 1960s, when she embarked on a “hard-edge” phase of abstract painting.