Riopelle, Jean-Paul

Riopelle, Jean-Paul (b Montreal, 7 Oct 1923; d Île-aux-Grues, Quebec, 12 Mar. 2002). Canadian painter, sculptor, and printmaker. Riopelle was considered the leading Canadian abstract painter of his generation, even though he spent most of his career in Paris. His early works were landscapes, but he turned to abstraction under the influence of Borduas and became a member of his group Les Automatistes in 1946 before settling in Paris in 1947. His paintings of the late 1940s were in a lyrical manner, but in the 1950s his work became tauter, denser, and more powerful, the paint often applied with a palette knife, creating a rich mosaic-like effect (Pavane, 1954, NG, Ottawa). Later his handling became more calligraphic. Riopelle was a prolific artist and at home in various media. In spite of his long residence in France, he kept up a close association with his native country and from 1970 he spent a good deal of time in his native Montreal.