Jean-Paul Riopelle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean-Paul Riopelle
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| Born | October 7, 1923 |
| Died | March 12, 2002 (aged 78) Saint-Antoine-de-l'Isle-aux-Grues, Quebec, Canada
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| Known for | Painter, sculptor, lithographer |
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Jean-Paul Riopelle (October 7, 1923 – March 12, 2002) was a famous Canadian painter and sculptor from Quebec. He had a very long and important career around the world. He was one of the sixteen artists who signed the Refus Global in 1948. This was a special paper that said artists in Quebec wanted to be free from old traditions and rules.
Riopelle is best known for his unique abstract paintings. Abstract art does not show things as they look in real life. Instead, it uses shapes, colors, and lines to create feelings or ideas. In the 1950s, Riopelle created "mosaic" works. He stopped using paintbrushes and instead used a palette knife to put thick paint onto his canvases. This made his paintings look almost like sculptures. He was the first Canadian painter since James Wilson Morrice to become famous worldwide.
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Jean-Paul Riopelle's Life
Jean-Paul Riopelle was born in Montreal, Canada. He started taking drawing lessons when he was ten years old, in 1933. His parents really supported his interest in art. They let him take weekend classes with Henri Bisson, a well-known artist.
In 1941, Riopelle studied engineering, architecture, and photography. The next year, he went to the École des beaux-arts de Montréal. But he soon moved to a less traditional art school, the École du meuble, and finished there in 1945.
In the 1940s, Riopelle studied with Paul-Émile Borduas. He became part of a group called Les Automatistes. These artists in Montreal were interested in Surrealism. Surrealism is an art movement that uses dreams and the unconscious mind to create art. They liked "automatic drawing," which meant drawing freely without planning.
After reading a book by André Breton in 1945, Riopelle started trying out non-objective painting. This means his art did not show real objects. He was one of the artists who signed the Refus global manifesto. In 1947, Riopelle moved to Paris, France, to continue his art career. He showed his work with the Surrealists in a big exhibition in 1947. His first solo art show was in Paris in 1949.
Riopelle married Françoise Lespérance in 1946, and they had two daughters. They separated in 1953. Later, in 1959, he started a relationship with American painter Joan Mitchell. They lived near Giverny, where Monet had lived. They influenced each other's art a lot. Their relationship ended in 1979. Riopelle's 1992 painting Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg is a tribute to Joan Mitchell, who passed away that year. It is seen as one of his best later works.
Jean-Paul Riopelle's Art Style
Riopelle's art style changed quickly in the 1940s. He moved from Surrealism to Lyrical Abstraction. This style is similar to abstract expressionism. He used many colorful shapes like cubes and triangles. He applied the paint with a palette knife or a trowel. This created a strong sense of movement on his large canvases.
From 1948 to the early 1950s, his paintings often had long lines of paint. Some people thought he used a dripping technique, like Jackson Pollock. But Riopelle actually threw large amounts of paint onto the canvas. He used a palette knife, a brush, or even squeezed paint directly from the tube.
The thick layers of paint, called impasto, became very important in his work. Impasto means applying paint so thickly that it stands out from the surface. This creates peaks and valleys on the canvas. Riopelle said he didn't mean to paint so thickly. He hoped to finish paintings in just a few strokes. But he kept adding more paint until the artwork was done. This "unintentional" way of working fit with his interest in Surrealism and using chance in art.
When Riopelle started a painting, he tried to finish it in one go. He would prepare all the colors he needed beforehand. He didn't like to waste time looking for colors while he was working.
Another important part of Riopelle's oil paintings was the range of gloss. He put different paints next to each other. This made light reflect off the surface in different ways and with different brightness. He did not put varnish on his paintings. These three things – color, volume (how thick the paint was), and range of gloss – were key to his painting style throughout his career.
Riopelle received an award at the 1952 São Paulo Art Biennial. In 1953, his work was shown at the Younger European Painters exhibition in New York City. The next year, he began showing his art at the Pierre Matisse Gallery in New York. In 1954, Riopelle's art, along with other Canadian artists, was shown at the Venice Biennale. He was the only artist representing Canada at the 1962 Venice Biennale.
He received an award at the Guggenheim Museum in 1958. Many exhibitions of his work were held in different cities. These included Cologne, Germany, in 1963, and the National Gallery of Canada in 1963. He also had shows in France in 1971 and 1972. He became a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.
In the 1960s, Riopelle started trying new ways to make art. He used ink on paper, watercolors, and collage. He also made sculptures. One of his sculptures is a fountain in Montreal's Olympic Stadium, called La joute. In 1972, he moved back to Quebec. He built a studio there. He also discovered the icy landscapes of the Far North. This inspired his black and white Icebergs series in 1977 and 1978.
A large exhibition of Riopelle's work was held in Paris in 1981. It then traveled to museums in Quebec and Mexico City. In the 1980s, he started painting more recognizable subjects. He also began using aerosol spray cans instead of traditional paints. In 1981, he received the Prix Paul-Émile-Borduas, a very important award.
His painting Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg (1992) is a tribute to Joan Mitchell. It is a very long painting, over 40 meters (130 feet) long, made of 30 smaller parts. Riopelle spent his last years on Isle-aux-Grues, a small island in the St. Lawrence River.
Jean-Paul Riopelle is considered one of the most important Canadian artists of the 20th century. He made over six thousand artworks in his lifetime, including more than two thousand paintings.
Relocation of La Joute
La Joute is a famous sculpture by Riopelle from 1969. It was first located in Parc Olympique in Montreal. Many people thought it was about hockey, but it's actually about a game called "capture the flag." The sculpture shows animals and mythical figures playing this game around a central "Tower of Life."
In 2003, the sculpture was moved to Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle in Montreal. This caused some arguments. People from the old neighborhood were upset. They felt moving it took away its meaning as a tribute to sports.
However, those who supported the move, like the Quebec government, said it would honor Riopelle better. They also said the new location would let more people see the artwork as the artist wanted. The old spot was hard to get to and didn't have the fountain or fire parts that Riopelle designed.
Theft and Destruction of La Défaite
On August 1, 2011, Riopelle's sculpture La Défaite was stolen from where it was displayed in Esterel, Quebec. It had been there since 1963. The next day, the sculpture was found in a wooded area, broken into four pieces.
Jean-Paul Riopelle's Legacy
Riopelle represented Canada at the 1962 Venice Biennale. In 1969, he was given the Order of Canada, a high honor. He then started spending more time in Canada. UNESCO also recognized his work. One of his largest paintings, Point de rencontre, is currently at Rideau Hall in Canada.
In 1988, he was made an Officer of the National Order of Quebec, and then a Grand Officer in 1994. In 2000, Riopelle was added to Canada's Walk of Fame.
In 2006, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts held a special exhibition of his work. It traveled to Russia and France. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts has many of his artworks in its collection. In 2020, an exhibition called Riopelle: The Call of Northern Landscapes and Indigenous Cultures showed his paintings inspired by Indigenous art. This exhibition explored his interest in art from different cultures. In 2021, a museum in Quebec City announced it would build a special building just for Riopelle's art.
On October 7, 2003, Canada Post released a set of postage stamps. These stamps showed parts of Riopelle's painting L'Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg.
Images for kids
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Jean-Paul Riopelle, 1948, Untitled (sans titre), oil on canvas.
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Jean-Paul Riopelle, 1951, Untitled, oil on canvas.
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Jean-Paul Riopelle, 1953, Untitled, oil on canvas, at the Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes, France.
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La Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, Montreal, Quebec
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Jean-Paul Riopelle's star on Canada's Walk of Fame
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La Place Jean-Paul Riopelle in Quartier international de Montréal, Quebec
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La Place Jean-Paul Riopelle in Quartier international de Montréal, Quebec
See also
In Spanish: Jean-Paul Riopelle para niños
