LOT 031

CC QMG RCA
1904 - 1990
Canadian

Portrait de femme
oil on canvas
signed and dated 1985 and on verso titled
16 x 12 in, 40.6 x 30.5 cm

Estimate: $35,000 - $45,000 CAD

Sold for: $70,200

Preview at: Heffel Vancouver

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Quebec City

LITERATURE
Marie Carani, Jean Paul Lemieux, Musée du Québec, 1992, reproduced page 225

EXHIBITED
Musée du Québec, L'effect Lemieux, June 3 - November 1, 1992, catalogue #97 in the exhibition catalogue and #50 on the label
Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, Jean Paul Lemieux, June 17 - October 31, 1993


Jean Paul Lemieux often used a monochromatic palette, but here his use of colour is extravagant and sensuous. His depiction of the human figure always expressed a psychological realm, and in Portrait de femme the viewer first feels the aliveness and beauty of the woman, but then something more subtle. Lemieux has brought us very close to her, and in her direct gaze is a certain vulnerability, or perhaps anxiety. Her absolute stillness, the absence of any narrative detail and the abstraction of the colour field background makes this especially resonant. The existential state of the human condition was always in Lemieux’s consciousness, and it is what makes his work so penetrating. In this evocative work, he shows us both the mask that the woman shows to the world and the suggestion of what is going on behind it, making us the witness of the delicate state of her soul. Portrait de femme was chosen for the important 1992 exhibition at the Musée du Québec and was reproduced in the catalogue.


Estimate: $35,000 - $45,000 CAD

All prices are in Canadian Dollars


Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information posted, errors and omissions may occur. All bids are subject to our Terms and Conditions of Business. Bidders must ensure they have satisfied themselves with the condition of the Lot prior to bidding. Condition reports are available upon request.