Charles Bronfman’s Claridge Collection – Canadian Fine Art

November 06, 2013

LOT 153

Lot 153

LEON BELLEFLEUR, RCA

LEON BELLEFLEUR, RCA
Lot 153 Details
LEON BELLEFLEUR, RCA

JANVIER EN MONTAGNE

watercolour on paper
signed and dated ‘86
9 ins x 10 ins; 22.9 cms x 25.4 cms

Estimate $1,200-$1,800

Realised: $2,400
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Note:

Leon Bellefleur was born in Montreal, Quebec, in 1910. He received his teaching diploma from the Jacques Cartier Teaching School in 1929 and spent the next twenty-five years teaching, while attending evening art courses at the École des beaux-arts de Montréal until 1938.

In 1942 Bellefleur met Alfred Pellan and frequented his studio where he met prominent Quebec artists, Albert Dumouchel, Jacques de Tonnancour, Louis Archambault, and others. Together, the group signed the Prisme d’Yeux, a manifesto denouncing what they perceived as the narrow-minded vision of Paul-Emile Borduas’ Automatistes.

Bellefleur was drawn to the art of Paul Klee and children’s art and, in 1947, wrote the article Plaidoyer pour l’enfant, a plea in favor of children. His work reflected the influence of surreaslim and its preoccupation with the subconscious. In 1951, Bellefleur was part of the second international COBRA exhibition at Liege, Belgium, and in 1953 became a member of the Automatistes. He retired from teaching in 1954 and traveled extensively through Europe, associating with the Surrealist painter, André Breton, in Paris. He finally settled down in Quebec in 1966, where he continued to paint well into his 90’s.

In 1960, Bellefleur represented Canada at the Guggenheim International Contest. He was the first winner of the Prix Borduas (1977), received the 1985 annual prize of the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste and an honourary PhD from Concordia University in 1987. In 1989 Bellefleur was inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy. He died in Montreal in 2007.

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 153
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About Condition Ratings

  • 5 Stars: Excellent - No discernable damage, flaws or imperfections
  • 4 Stars: Very Good - Minor flaws or imperfections visible only under close inspection using specialised instruments or black light
  • 3 Stars: Good - Minor flaws visible upon inspection under standard lighting
  • 2 Stars: Fair - Exhibits flaws or damage that may draw the eye under standard lighting
  • 1 Star: Poor - Flaws or damage immediately apparent under standard lighting (examples: missing components, rips, broken glass, damaged surfaces, etc.)

Note: Condition ratings and condition details are the subjective opinions of our specialists and should be used as a guide only. Waddington’s uses due care when preparing condition details, however, our staff are not professional restorers or conservators. Condition details and reports are not warranties and each lot is sold “as is” in accordance with the buyer’s terms and conditions of sale. In all cases the prospective purchaser is responsible for inspecting the property themselves prior to placing a bid.