Rene Richard, was born in Switzerland in 1895. His family relocated to Alberta, Canada in 1909, when Rene was only 14 years old. He began his studies in fine art in Edmonton in 1926.
The following year, he visited New York, but eventually settled in Paris in 1927. While in Paris, he studied at Academie de la Grande Chaumiere and at the Academie Colarossi until 1930. It was in France that he met Clarence Gagnon and James Wilson Morris.
Clarence Gagnon will have a big influence on the young Richard, it's him who conviced him to capture on paper or on wood board the everyday scenery of Richard's wild trapping adventures, he also introduced the artist to the magnificient region of Charlevoix.
Back in Canada by 1930, he began trapping animals in Western Canada and in the Arctic until 1942. Spending so much time living outdoors in the middle of the woods, inspired this artist to paint the beauty of the great Canadian landscape. He has worked in several mediums including, pencil, charcoal, watercolor and oil.
After his stint in the arctic, he moved to the Baie Saint-Paul region of Charlevoix, where the scenery is unique. His mentor, Clarence Gagnon, had now successfully convinced Rene Richard to dedicate himself to painting. He settled down, and wedded with Blanche Cimon. In the 50's he left a few times the comfort of his Baie St-Paul home to explore the northerns territories.
From 1948 to 1950, Rene Richard exhibited his work at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art and held several solo exhibitions at the Musée de Quebec from 1967-1977. He is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy and his paintings can now be found in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada, at le Musée de Quebec, the Universite de Laval, and in Several Galleries across Canada. |
