Alfred Pellan (born Alfred Pelland; 16 May 1906 – 31 October 1988) was an important figure in twentieth-century Canadian painting.

Biography

Alfred Pellan was born on 16 May 1906 in the Saint-Roch quarter of Quebec City. His mother, Régina Damphousse, died when he was young, and his father, Alfred Pelland, a locomotive engineer, raised their three children. In school, Pellan filled the margins of his notebooks with drawings and excelled at his art classes, with little interest in other subjects. He later changed his surname to "Pellan".

In 1926 Pellan received the first fine arts scholarship in Quebec, which allowed him to spend several years in Paris and visit Venice. From 1926 until 1930, he studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Besides his mandatory classes, Pellan also sat in on sessions at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and the Académie Colarossi, where he met painter Lucien Simon (1861-1945). When his scholarship ended, he prolonged his stay in Paris, taking on odd jobs as a graphic designer and poster publisher as well as receiving financial support from his father. He won first prize at the exhibition of mural art in 1935 in Paris and rubbed elbows with the most famous artists of the time. Traveling Europe, he became "permeated by the mainstream art of the era". His early canvases, from his first visit to Paris, show a marked fauvist tendency.

In 1936, at the urging of his father, Pellan applied for a professorship at the École des Beaux-Arts in Quebec City. However, he was rejected by the jury, who found him too "modern". Its manifesto was written by Jacques de Tonnancour and advocated freedom of expression in art, speaking for a group that called for art free of any ideology.

Works by Pellan along with those of David Milne, Goodridge Roberts and Emily Carr represented Canada at the Venice Biennale in 1952.

Back in Quebec for two years, he resumed his painting classes in 1957 as a professor at the Art Centre of Sainte-Adèle while living in his house in Auteuil, Laval. His reputation continued to grow among Canadian art experts, he became more widely known through solo and group exhibitions, and he received commissions for murals, which helped establish his fame throughout the country.

In 1971, he received an honorary doctorate from Sir George Williams University, which later became Concordia University.

Death

In 1978, Pellan was diagnosed with leukemia and produced only five works during his last ten years with the aid of his assistant Michel Vermeulen. He died in Montreal on 31 October 1988, aged 82 and was interred in the Parc du Souvenir in Auteuil. His wife died in 2010.

Recognition and legacy

Several monographs and documentaries were devoted to him during his lifetime. He received a number of awards and honours, notably Companion of the Order of Canada. He was made a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.

On 21 April 1995 Canada Post issued 'Blossoming, c. 1950, Alfred Pellan' in the Masterpieces of Canadian art series. The stamp was designed by Pierre-Yves Pelletier based on a painting "Blossoming", circa 1950 by Alfred Pellan in the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The 88¢ stamps are perforated 13 X 13.5 and were printed by Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited.

Two of Pellan's paintings, Canada West and Canada East, were commissioned for the Canadian mission in Brazil in the 1940s and relocated to the Lester B. Pearson Building in Ottawa in 1973. From 2011 to 2015 they were removed by the federal government and replaced by a large portrait of the Queen. In November 2015 the two paintings were restored to their original location.

  • A federal electoral district in Laval, Québec, named after him;
  • A street in Montréal is named after him.
  • A street in Longueuil is named after him.
  • A street in Lévis is named after him.
  • A street in Terrebonne is named after him.
  • A street in Saint-Jérôme is named after him.
  • A street in Drummondville is named after him.
  • A street in Granby is named after him.
  • A street in Mirabel is named after him.
  • A street in Blainville is named after him.
  • A street in Shawinigan is named after him.
  • A street in Sainte-Julie is named after him.
  • A place in Boisbriand is named after him.
  • A street in Saint-Lin-Laurentides is named after him.
  • A street in Sainte-Catherine is named after him.
  • A street in Saint-Charles-Borromée is named after him.
  • A street in Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot is named after him.
  • A road in Petite-Rivière-Saint-François is named after him.
  • A lake in Rivière-Koksoak is named after him.

References

  • Alfred Pellan: Life & Work by Maria Rosa Lehmann, published by the Art Canada Institute
  • On a Portrait by Alfred Pellan (in French)
  • Profile
  • Alfred Pellan: Collection Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec