This group of five paintings offer a rare glimpse into Jean Paul Riopelle’s formative years. Executed in the early 1940s, while he was still a student, they are distinctly figurative, depicting landscapes and still lives - works quite different from the dynamic abstraction for which he would later become celebrated.

At this early stage, Riopelle was developing his artistic vocabulary, experimenting with colour, composition, and the expressive possibilities of paint. Seen together, these paintings provide a fascinating insight into the young artist before his decisive turn toward abstraction and automatism.

Their personal provenance makes the group particularly special. Riopelle gifted these works to a childhood friend, and, preserved in the same family collection ever since, they offer a rare and intimate connection to the artist's early years and to the beginnings of an extraordinary career.

The authenticity of this work was confirmed by Yseult Riopelle.

Heffel is proud to be a presenting partner of the inauguration of the new Espace Riopelle – Michael Audain Pavilion at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, opening its doors on October 22.