Randolphe Duguay
Rodolphe Duguay | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 27, 1891 Nicolet, Quebec |
| Died | August 25, 1973 (aged 82) Nicolet |
| Education | first and only student of Marc-Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Coté; Académie Julian, Paris |
| Known for | painter, printmaker, illustrator |
| Spouse | Jeanne L'Archevêque-Duguay |
Rodolphe Duguay CM (April 27, 1891 – August 25, 1973) was an artist who has recently received attention because of the quality of his paintings and printmaking in rural Quebec. A retrospective titled Rodolphe Duguay: True Nature at the Joliette Art Museum was held in 2024. The curator Julie Alary Lavallée said of Duguay's art career, "In today’s era of climate change, the emphasis on nature, simplicity, and daily life far from the city takes on new meaning."[1]
Today, the artist's home and studio, the Maison et atelier Rodolphe-Duguay, can be viewed in Nicolet, Quebec.[2]
Career
Duguay was born in Nicolet, Quebec. He initially studied at the Séminaire of Nicolet, but interested in art, in 1908 he left his father's farm and moved to Montreal meaning to study business. His interests however lay in painting and drawing. By 1911, he had enrolled as an art student at the Council of Arts and Manufactures in Montreal, where he studied with several prominent artists, including Charles Gill, Joseph Franchère, and Alfred Laliberté. He also studied with William Brymner at the Art Association of Montreal and worked in the studio of Georges Delfosse.[1][3]
Marc-Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Coté became his mentor and facilitated Duguay's further studies. With Suzor-Coté's support and the first Quebec Government Grant made to an artist, Duguay travelled to France in 1920. In Paris, Duguay studied at the Académie Julian with Jean Paul Laurens, the Académie Colarossi, and the Académie de la Grande Chaumière.[3] Besides painting, he studied printmaking, especially making woodcuts. He became friendly with Paul-Albert Moras, a French painter and printmaker, which furthered his interest in engraving. In 1927, Duguay returned to Canada, a recognized artist.[1]
In Nicolet, his father built him a workshop on the model of his last Parisian workshop. Duguay worked for the church at Sorel, PQ and in 1933, he illustrated a collection of poems by Ulric-L. Gingras titled "Du Soleil sur l'étang noir" ("Sun on the Black Pond"). This project marked the beginning of a woodcut period in his career. His illustrations for Clément Marchand's "Courrier des villages" ("Village Mail") in 1941 further established his reputation as an expert in the medium as did the illustrations he did for the novels of his wife, Jeanne L'Archevêque-Duguay.[4] He also painted the rural landscape around him, creating inventive and moving scenes of country life.[1] Laurier Lacroix praises Duguay's "profound religious message based on goodness, innocence, purity and suffering" in his woodcuts and paintings.[4]
In 1973, he received the Order of Canada and died the same year.[1] His work is in the collections of the National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec[5] and the Joliette Art Museum.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Exhibitions". www.museejoliette.org. Joliette Art Museum. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- ^ "Article". www.musees.qc.ca. Quebec Museums. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Artists". www.patrimoine-culturel.gouv.qc.ca. Quebec, Ministry of Culture and Communications. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- ^ a b Lacroix, Laurier. "Article". thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- ^ "Collection". www.mnbaq.org. MNBAQ. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
Further reading
- Martin, Denis (1990). Printmaking in Québec, 1900-1950. Quebec City, PQ: Musée du Québec. pp. 70–97. ISBN 2551123259. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- Martin, Lévis (2004). Rodolphe duguay. pour une mystique du paysage (Rodolphe Duguay: towards a mystic landscape). Presses de L'Universite Laval. ISBN 9782763780061. Retrieved 12 August 2025.