Maria Chapdelaine

Among the great treasures of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection is a group of fifty-four jewel-like miniatures by the artist Clarence Gagnon. Completed in the early 1930s, these are the final paintings made for what is arguably the most famous illustrated book by a Canadian artist: Maria Chapdelaine, a novel written by the French novelist Louis Hémon and published in 1933 by Éditions Mornay in Paris. These paintings were gifted to the McMichael in 1969 by Colonel R.S. McLaughlin and were the first works by a francophone Quebec artist to enter the collection.

Due to conservation concerns, these delicate artworks can only be displayed once every three years and the McMichael is delighted to have them on view for the 2024 holiday season. Visitors can also purchase a book with the entire suite of fifty-four illustrations from the Gallery Shop. The book includes an essay by Ian M. Thom, former Chief Curator at the McMichael and most recently, Senior Historical Curator at the Vancouver Art Gallery.