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Maria Chapdelaine

November 23, 2024 – March 2, 2025

Clarence Alphonse Gagnon (1881–1942), The Chapdelaine Farm, 1928/1933, watercolour and gouache with pastel or coloured pencil ? on paper, sheet: 20.4 x 26 cm; image: 16.4 x 22.2 cm, Gift of Colonel R.S. McLaughlin, 1969.4.7

About the Exhibition

Among the great treasures of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection is a group of 54 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.

Parmi les trésors de la Collection McMichael d’art canadien figurent 54 véritables bijoux créés par l’artiste québécois Clarence Gagnon (18811942). Achevées au début des années 1930, ces œuvres ont été réalisées pour orner ce qui constitue sans doute l’ouvrage illustré le plus célèbre mis en image par un artiste canadien : Maria Chapdelaine, un texte écrit par le romancier français Louis Hémon et publié en 1933 aux Éditions Mornay à Paris. Ces peintures, dont le colonel R.S. McLaughlin a fait don au McMichael en 1969, constituent les premières œuvres d’un artiste francophone à entrer dans notre collection.

Par souci de conservation, ces peintures ne peuvent être exposées que tous les trois à cinq ans. Le McMichael est heureux de pouvoir les présenter pendant la saison des Fêtes 2024, où elles accompagneront notre exposition Le Fleuve des rêves : l’impressionnisme et le Saint-Laurent.

evening winter city scape in pastel and/or coloured pencil on paper

Clarence Alphonse Gagnon (1881–1942), Christmas Mass, 1928/1933, pastel and/or coloured pencil on paper, sheet: 21.7 x 23.8 cm; image: 18.2 x 21.8 cm, Gift of Colonel R.S. McLaughlin, 1969.4.34

Clarence Alphonse Gagnon (1881–1942), The Betrothal, 1928/1933, gouache over colour monotype on paper, sheet: 24.1 x 26.5 cm; image: 21.5 x 22.6 cm, Gift of Colonel R.S. McLaughlin, 1969.4.5

field workers picking blueberries in pastel and/or coloured pencil with charcoal on paper

Clarence Alphonse Gagnon (1881–1942), Picking Blueberries, 1928/1933, pastel and/or coloured pencil with charcoal on paper, sheet: 21.4 x 24.3 cm; image: 17.9 x 20.1 cm, Gift of Colonel R.S. McLaughlin, 1969.4.22

Clarence Alphonse Gagnon (1881–1942), Sleeping on the Way Home, 1928/1933, watercolour and gouache over graphite on paper, sheet: 22 x 24 cm; image: 18.5 x 19.1 cm, Gift of Colonel R.S. McLaughlin, 1969.4.5

Matinée francophone:

Clarence Gagnon’s Maria Chapdelaine

Saturday, December 14, 2024 | 10 am to 12 pm

Free with gallery admission. Registration required.

Bring Home a Piece of
Maria Chapdelaine’s Art,
or Find the Perfect Gift!