In the late 1970s, Jean Paul Riopelle turned his focus to small-scale works, producing the Nouvelles impressions series consisting of around 100 small-format oil paintings. This sudden surge of productivity followed a knee injury that confined him to a seated position in the studio. The physical limitation changed the format of his work but not its intensity. Riopelle’s palette knife remained restless, his gestures just as forceful, though now concentrated within smaller frames.

Nouvelles impressions 49 is a striking example from this period. At just 9 ½ by 7 ½ inches, it is modest in scale but charged with energy. The surface feels alive—layered with thick, tactile swathes of paint, built up in fast, confident motions. Despite its size, the painting holds nothing back. Crimson reds push up against icy whites and deep blacks in a kind of rough harmony. The painting holds a tension between spontaneity and structure, a push and pull that gives the piece its rhythm. Everything here feels immediate but intentional.

For all its intensity, the work also displays a sense of precision—of Riopelle knowing exactly when to stop. Nouvelles impressions 49 captures his ongoing obsession with gesture, material and the natural world, distilled into one concentrated, unforgettable moment.

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